


Aria of Winter

by Ophelia_Fallen



Series: Aria of Winter [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Adventure, Artistic Liberties, Character Death, Dark Fantasy, Drug Use, F/M, Homoeroticism, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Nightmare Fuel, Original Character Death(s), Politcs, Pre-Canon, Sango Cameo in Chapter 18, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Tragedy, War, sengoku era warfare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:22:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 79,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21864421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ophelia_Fallen/pseuds/Ophelia_Fallen
Summary: “Is humanity drawn to conflict because of the pursuit for fleeting power- or are they drawn to it by design?Ever since the wheel of time started spinning, humanity has always been drawn to conflict and will continue to do so until the final sunset. Until then, the crows will take amusement in watching the drawn out battles that the most powerful of men and yokai alike take joy in.”The story follows the rise and fall of the Shichinintai as they get entangled in a series of conflicts that leads to their ultimate demise ten years prior to the main series.
Series: Aria of Winter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695190
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

“A warrior with nothing to lose is just as dangerous as a man on the brink of losing everything. It is within the destiny of humanity and Yokai to struggle, until he has joined his companions in the netherworld. It is only the immortal flock of crows who rejoice in watching their struggling that will reap the benefits of his eternal suffering…”

Prologue 

Debris and fresh corpses littered the castle’s inner walls. Standing above them was a Kanabo wielding Samurai wearing an Oni-inspired menpo. He enjoyed a good long laugh as his latest victim writhed on the ground after having his face disfigured by the Kanabo. “Hah, you puny mercenaries are no match for me.” 

Kazuya the Great, as he called himself, peered over towards the gates and grinned at the aftermath of his massacre. “The enemy lords must be running out of wealth if this is all they can hire to try to take this base over.” He leaned into his club, catching the sight of a mercenary clad in black armour approaching him.

Light bounced off from the approaching warrior’s zanbato. “No Bankotsu… he’s too strong for you. Get away.” Said the writhing soldier below Kazuya before having his face smashed in again. 

Half of Bankotsu’s face was covered by a red menpo, revealing only his striking cobalt gaze underneath his helmet. “You’re the one who took out the reinforcements, aren’t you?” Kazuya asked, trying to figure out the source of his own men becoming casualties.

Without uttering a word, Bankotsu swung his zanbato towards Kazuya, which proved to have been far too soon as the beast of a man managed to dodge it. For an instant Bankotsu lost his composure as the weight of the zanbato proved to still be too heavy for his usual tactics in combat.

“Nice try!” Kazuya shouted as he smashed his Kanabo against Bankotsu’s helmet, shattering it before hitting the boy in the face with the handle. It was a miracle that Bankotsu was still standing and left to watch as the pieces of his helmet crumbled off his head. 

“Awe, well ain’t you a little cute. I’ll admit you’ve some serious brass to go after me being as small as you are.” Kazuya paused for an instant and then grabbed Bankotsu by the neck. The boy dropped the handle of his zanbato in an instant. 

Bankotsu kicked wildly as he was lifted from the ground, forced to stare into the eyes of the monster before him who wanted nothing more than to see him dead. Had he been a couple of years younger, this would have been the point where he would have begged for mercy. Gritting his teeth, he held on to his dear life as he was starting to count his every breath he managed to make. 

Instead of strangling him, Kazuya threw him onto the ground and stared kicking him. “Hurting children leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but you leave me no choice except to teach you a lesson in respect!” Blood seeped from Bankotsu’s mouth as the kicks got harder. “Get up, little fucker I’m not done discipline you yet.” He wasn’t sure when his ponytail got loose, it was the least of his worries. 

A swift glimmer of light reflecting off a flying saw was what it took to end the beatdown. Bankotsu fell into a fit of coughing as the distracted Kazuya turned his attention away from the young mercenary. Seizing the opportunity to regain his composure, he crawled towards his zanbato. 

Ahead of Kazuya was a rugged man on horseback with half of his eye covered by a metal plate. It took Bankotsu a few moments to notice the metallic contraption hanging from the man’s back- with saws firmly planted on top. However, the most noticeable thing about the man was his bright red hairpiece. The bay mare pawed at the ground, snorting as the man held up his Yari. 

“Oh ho, I didn’t expect to see Kazuya the Great beating up a child. Come on, why don’t you challenge me? Or are you too scared to fight Ginka the Terrible?” the man said with a devilish grin. “It’ll be payback for when you made me lose my eye!”

Ginka kicked his mare’s sides and charged at Kazuya with his yari. The rugged man laughed as he clashed the end of his yari with the Kanabo every time Kazuya swung at Ginka. 

Bankotsu groaned and rubbed his forehead. His spine stiffened once Ginka was knocked off his horse, crashing down with a mighty roar. In a blind fury, Bankotsu picked up his zanbato and charged towards Kazuya. 

“Alright, play time is over.” Kazuya said, raising his Kanabo and taking aim at Ginka before he was stopped. 

Within in an instant, Kazuya met his end to the heap of iron. His torso flew away from the rest of his body, leaving a stream of blood gushing onto the courtyard. Bankotsu trembled and panted, taking a moment to admire his own handiwork and then impaled the blade onto the ground. ‘Why did I go with a weapon this heavy?’

Bankotsu leaned against his zanbato and panted, taking in the carnage laid before him now that there were no longer any hostiles in the area. He was too stubborn to admit that the weapon he wanted was, for the moment, cumbersome. Even so, he couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction when he saw Kazuya’s menpo break upon contact with the ground below.

Ginka groaned as he regained his footing and yanked onto his wandering mare’s reins before his enraged eye contacted Bankotsu’s. “Hey kid, that was my kill!” He shouted, pointing at the boy. “Amateurs like you shouldn’t even be participating in sieges like this. You should be working in a rice field or whatever it is kids do these days- you’re lucky I intervened when I did, or you’d be beaten to a pulp by now.” 

Instead of reacting with anything resembling terror, Bankotsu held his hand out to the enraged man with a whimsical smile. “Ginka the Terrible was it? Thanks for saving me when you did, maybe someday we’ll meet as allies on the battlefield.” He said, trying to soothe Ginka’s wounded pride. “By the way, I’m Bankotsu… but the rumours keep calling me Oni-Slayer.”

Ginka slapped Bankotsu’s hand away and mounted on top of his mare, scowling before readjusting his red hair piece. “Fuck off! Don’t you talk to me like we’re good friends.” 

The blazing castle was more than enough of a signal for Ginka to know where his companion had was. A lone warrior monk stood before the dancing flames, basking himself at a safe distance from the heat as he sealed away his gourd containing a searing oily substance that Ginka could not understand. The Sohei hardly noticed Ginka.

“Rennyo!” Ginka called out. 

Rennyo turned around and stared at Ginka with cynical eyes underneath his Murasaki face paint. “Is Kazuya dead? If so, we can go ahead and collect our payment.” 

Ginka nodded and tightened the grip on his reins. “Some brat stole my moment of glory. Can you believe it?” He watched Rennyo get on his black horse then followed him. “To make matters worse, the brat started talking to me like we’re the best of friends all the sudden. That kid pisses me off to no end. I shouldn’t have saved his ass.” 

“Will you stop your whining?” Rennyo said, allowing his horse to pick up a trot.

“Oh, come on, you know that General Kazuya was MY kill after what he did to my eye!”

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“Set him on fire or something. The world needs less smug ass kids anyway.”

“I’m not wasting my oil on that.” 

Rennyo’s horse transitioned into a canter, leaving Ginka scrambling to catch up with him. “Wait, Rennyo! Slow down, or we’ll get separated.” Moments later, Rennyo lightly tugged on the horse’s reins to allow Ginka to be side by side.

“He didn’t happen to be the boy with the monstrous zanbato, was he?” Ginka nodded in response to Rennyo’s query. “I must say, I was quite impressed with how he managed to stand up to the strongest of samurai. His strength is impressive.”

Rennyo’s words stung like lemon poured onto an open cut. “You’ve got to be kidding me. When I found him, he was half dead!” Ginka protested, “I think the brat would’ve died had I not saved his ass!”

“Think about… if we could recruit him, then he’d be a useful asset to us.” Rennyo pulled the fabric up to cover his mouth. “Then, we could eventually become a force to be reckoned with.”

Bankotsu stared up at the grey sky, sighing after his companion dressed in an aqua coloured yukata applied the bandages over his wounds. His zanbato leaned against the same tree he was sitting under. 

The companion shook his head and scooted away from Bankotsu, folding his arms. “Ugh, what have I told you about charging headfirst into a fight like that? I swear, one of these days your recklessness is going to be the death of both of us. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to live long enough to see all the beautiful men in the land.”

“Yeah, yeah Jun.”

“Hey! What have I said about calling me by my real name?!”

“Okay… Jakotsu. There, better?”

“Much better.” Jakotsu leaned against a tree, frowning as he looked over the worn out yukata. “Ooh I hope the payout will be enough for a new Yukata. Do you know how badly I’ve needed a replacement for? Come to think of it, you need new clothes too. Ooh, you’d look really good dressed in white.”

Bankotsu stood up and stretched. “Ugh, I hate washing white clothes and you know that! Besides, I don’t want to look like I’m attending a funeral.” 

“Oh, come on, it would look so much cooler on you.” Jakotsu laughed, running his fingers through his loose hair before putting it into a messy bun. 

A saw grazed Jakotsu’s arm, leaving a deep gash. “What the hell was that?!” Jakotsu said after falling to the ground, blood oozing from his wound and staining his yukata. “Geeze, it hurts!” he bit his lip. 

Bankotsu looked west and saw Ginka approaching him on horseback. “Well, well if it isn’t the brat again? I’ll make you pay for stealing my glory!” 

He barely managed to evade the tip of Ginka’s yari, having jumped out of the way and grabbed his zanbato before the mare charged towards him again at full speed. Bankotsu shielded off the yari the second time Ginka shoved it towards him.

“Oh ho, how long can you put up with this?”

Jakotsu peered over the hill, where Rennyo stood on his horse watching with intrigued eyes underneath the head shawl. Upon closer inspection, he spotted the bow and arrow the Sohei carried with him.

“Bankotsu, watch out he’s got back up!” Jakotsu said, running towards the Sohei and flicked his multiple bladed sword. The blades however were stopped midair as one became constricted by some sort of wire. 

The Sohei yanked his hand back, thrusting Jakotsu closer towards him. “Your weapon fascinates me.” He said watching the blades collapse to the ground with a thrash.

Meanwhile, Bankotsu was starting to become disorientated as Ginka circled around him. There had to be a pattern, Bankotsu was sure of it. Ginka laughed as he rose his yari once more to charge at Bankotsu—he laughed too soon. Seconds later he watched helplessly as his arm flew away. 

Ginka crashed to the ground, his mare galloping away. His screams reached Rennyo, who let go of his wires and ran towards the scene; leaving Jakotsu to untangle his blades. Bankotsu smirked as Ginka rolled around in the grass, writhing in a pool of his own blood. 

He rose his zanbato, preparing to end Ginka’s existence until an arrow bounced off his zanbato. 

“I won’t let you lay another finger on Ginka!” Rennyo shouted, tossing his bow aside and grabbed his gourd which was hanging off his Murasaki obi. Ginka seized the opportunity to crawl away from Bankotsu’s sights.

Rennyo circled around Bankotsu, waiting until Ginka was out of the way before uncapping his gourd and spewing a stream of flames between himself and Bankotsu. He turned around to the still writing Ginka. “You fool, what did I tell you about picking fights at random?”

Ginka groaned, his right hand squeezing over the stump which once held his left arm. 

There was no time to scold Ginka further as Rennyo was impaled in the chest by the handle of Bankotsu’s zanbato and knocked off his horse. It was now a matter of trying to dodge the blade—Rennyo got back up and let out another stream of flames from his gourd- watching as Bankotsu’s zanbato heated up until it was too unbearable for him to touch.

Deciding that the zanbato was too hot, Bankotsu leapt towards Rennyo. Jakotsu stood by and watched as Bankotsu tackled Rennyo and delivered a series of punches to the face.

But then he suddenly stopped and got up. Bankotsu’s expression melted from rage to remorse as droplets of rain started bouncing off them. Then it begun pouring onto the young men as their sparring match concluded. Rennyo took his cyan shawl off as he resigned himself to his doom; praying that his death would be swift and painless. 

Bankotsu stared the monk down without malice nor hatred. “It’d be such a waste to kill a Sohei, especially one of your calibre.” Strands of hair was glued to Bankotsu’s face as his ponytail was starting to come loose. “I got to hand it to you, for a moment you had put me into a corner. I thought I was going to die.” 

Rennyo forced himself to smile. “You’re flattering me too much, kid. Go ahead and kill me, I’ve got nothing more to lose at this point.” Regret was only the beginning for how jaded the monk was, upon losing to a kid. 

Ginka lost consciousness. “Jakotsu, why don’t you help that fellow stop bleeding?” Bankotsu said, watching Jakotsu roll his eyes in response. 

“A man with nothing to lose is a lot more fearsome than one with everything to lose. Wouldn’t you agree?” Bankotsu said.

The monk nodded. “Yes.”

“Then why not come with Jakotsu and I? Your friend there is also free to join us.”

The monk looked up and saw the sincere expression on Bankotsu’s face. “You’re naïve to be this trusting of me. What would you do if I were to turn around and kill you on the first opportunity I get, because I’m not over the humiliation of this loss?” 

Bankotsu rested his zanbato against his shoulder, once it was cooled down enough, he could comfortably lift it again. “There would be nothing for you to gain from that kind of treachery with me.” He approached the monk. “Now then, why don’t you tell me your name?”

“Rennyo.”

Bankotsu arched a brow. “Rennyo, huh? Whoever bestowed you that name must have had great respect for the Eto Daishi.”

“You know about him, then?” Rennyo stood back up, now realizing that there was no intent to kill from Bankotsu by this point. 

“I’ve only heard of him.”

Rennyo looked away from Bankotsu to hide his disappointment. “Figures. I very much doubt that some samurai brat such as yourself would understand the significance of the Eto Daishi, even if I were to try to explain it to you.”

Bankotsu shook his head. “I’m not a samurai and I never will be. I dislike the order’s iron grip throughout the country.”

“Then what are you?”

“Nothing more than a sell sword. Just like you and Ginka.” Bankotsu held his hand out towards Rennyo. “Join us. Let us become the land’s most feared mercenaries.”


	2. Thanatophobia

Chapter 1 

The scent of smoke and sulphur engulfed the battlefield in the early wintry morning. 

It wasn’t until the arrival of the morning star that anyone could see how blood soaked the field of snow had become. Countless lances were without masters amid the panicked horses that were desperately seeking an escape from the senseless carnage. Fierce warriors were reduced to begging for mercy in their last moments when faced with the same mercenaries that they underestimated prior to the battle. 

Among the soldiers there was one who was bold enough to charge at Bankotsu with only a katana. “Die!” 

With a single swing of his zanbato, the soldier’s arm flew off. The samurai collapsed onto the ground, crying out in pain while gripping the spewing stump where his arm was. 

Every muscle in Bankotsu’s body started aching as he realized how much time had passed since he initiated the ambush attack. He could only pause for a second when he foolishly assumed that the waves of reinforcements were finally subdued. 

Flames danced on the fallen swordsmen that dared to challenge Bankotsu. The scorching corpses could only remind him that he too was mortal and could fall with even less grace than they did. 

Bankotsu sighed and rested the grip of his zanbato against his shoulder. “Guess I’ll go find my brothers.” 

Just as he turned to seek out his companions, a single samurai rose from his unconsciousness. “You bastard, I’ll have your head!” Bankotsu had no time to react to the injured samurai’s battle cry. 

The samurai’s valor was short lived as metallic blades were pelted into his back long before he could reach the young man. 

From a distance, Bankotsu was able to see the assailant who stood over the hill. Truly it was a horrific sight to behold- a man infused with various weapons throughout his body who could fire off the canon on his back without a second thought. He was hardly a man, given that half his face was covered by metallic plating. 

The mechanical abomination hissed through his metallic jaw as he approached Bankotsu. 

“Thanks, Ginkotsu- I owe you one!” Bankotsu shouted. 

A wave of cavalry charged into the field towards the automaton, and their horses trampling over the foot soldiers along the way. “Damn it, now this is getting tiresome.” Bankotsu said under his breath, watching the swarm of horses sprinting towards him.

With a single swing of the zanbato, multiple horses had their legs cleaved off. The rest of the cavalry charge halted as they saw the horses before them collapse, crushing their riders once the panicked beasts plummeted to the ground. 

The cavalry behind the first wave started to back their horses away from the fallen steeds who could only helplessly flail above the crushed corpses. “What the hell kind of weapon is that?” 

Bankotsu glared at the remaining cavalry troops and shook his head. “When are people going to learn not to charge at me like that?” 

A flicker of light briefly flashed in the morning skies within moments of the remaining calvary sprinting away from Bankotsu. Despite their earnest attempt of escape, the samurai and horses were minced where they stood. They collapsed on to the red ice below them. 

Another man approached Bankotsu- dressed in a lavender yukata no less! “Where were you? I nearly got overwhelmed back there!” The man groaned as he lowered his broadsword. 

“Sorry, Jakotsu. I was busy dealing with these vermin over here.” Bankotsu said as he put the fallen horses out of their misery as they continued to flail over the crushed corpses beneath them. 

Silence drifted through the battlefield that was much livelier only a while ago; it was as calming as it was eerie. 

Bankotsu looked around and arched a brow. “Eh- where did everyone go?!” He said as he realized that only Jakotsu and Ginkotsu had caught up with him. 

“We all got split up when they ambushed us.” Jakotsu said with a shrug as he sheathed his weapon and looked around. “The others shouldn’t be too far away.” 

A murder of three eyed crows started to caw with the battle having been concluded at last. One by one, each crow glided down to the corpses to begin their great feast. Although Bankotsu tried to ignore it, he still couldn’t help but be reminded of his own mortality that he’d taken for granted.

The only thing that would deter the crows was Jakotsu approaching a few of the corpses to inspect their faces. “What a shame, quite a few of them were really handsome. If only they didn’t dive right into my trap, then I’d have gotten a chance to play with them a little longer.” Jakotsu lamented as he removed the helmet from one of the soldiers. 

Bankotsu shook his head and turned away from Jakotsu. “I’ll go find the others.” 

Over the hill was the gigantic abomination of a man with a corpse dangling in his mouth. He peered to Bankotsu without saying a word. “Kyokotsu?” He could say, but the giant would not respond. “You seem to be fine.” Bankotsu muttered as he tried to ignore the grisly sight he witnessed.

He had finally come upon the pleasant sight of Renkotsu in the distance, who was leaning against a chestnut horse. Among one of the first things he noticed was the absence of Renkotsu’s bandana, along with his shattered armor. 

Every step Renkotsu took seemed agonizing as he kept a firm grip on the horse’s mane. “Hey, are you alright?” Bankotsu after approaching his injured comrade.

“I’ll live. It must have been from when that samurai crashed into me with his horse… luckily I wasn’t trampled, though I would have been if I hadn’t jumped out of the way.”

Among the troops was a scowling nobleman, sitting atop a grey horse while inspecting the debris and rubble throughout the village. He hopped off his horse and approached Bankotsu. “You barbarians destroyed everything! Now how are the villagers supposed to gather resources?”

Bankotsu grabbed the nobleman’s beard and pulled him in close. “Hey, just a word of advice: send some reinforcements next time if you’re concerned about the damage. Just a thought.”

It was only a matter of luck when Renkotsu intervened by putting his hand on Bankotsu’s shoulder. “Please accept my apologies, we were unaware that you wanted us to preserve the structural integrity of the land. If you had informed us of this, then I would have taken further steps to ensure that we’d do as little collateral damage as possible.”

The noble pushed Bankotsu away and glared. “Tch, how bothersome. Just get back to the settlement, the Daimyo will have your payment ready.” 

As soon as the noble was gone, Renkotsu leaned into Bankotsu after letting the horse bolt off. “You can’t go off on people like that.”

“Why not? He was talking out of his ass, like as if he’s never seen the aftermath of any battle before.”

“True as that may be, you need to learn when to remain silent- allow the nobles to make their foolish rants.”

Bankotsu scoffed. “Whatever, let’s get going; I’m getting bored looking at all the bodies.”

\----------------------------------------  
She couldn’t have been any older than nineteen when the disgraced concubine collapsed in the field. Blood trickled from her mouth long after she drew her final breath while her arms were covered in red lesions. 

“Mom…?” Was all the confused child could think to say as he prodded her limp, cold body. 

A tall skull faced figure loomed over the young boy as he wept for the young woman. “Please help, my mom isn’t getting up.” The boy said to the skull face as the tears rolled off his face. 

“There is nothing that can be done… your mother has been consumed.”

“Don’t lie to me! Mom is right here; she just cannot get up.”

He looked back down at the miserable corpse, who had only just spoken to him earlier. Her choppy hair was matted, and her clothes worn out from the months she spent getting away from the cruel daimyo. 

“The monster which consumed her lives within her. If you wish to live, leave her behind…” 

Bankotsu woke up in a cold sweat and tossed the sheets off him. He immediately wiped the tears from his face. ‘Damn it, not again.’ Nightmares emerged whenever he was sure that he had pushed away all the unwanted memories, regardless of how hard he tried to push them away. “How long did I sleep for?”

Jakotsu sat next to him, with arms crossed. Judging by Jakotsu’s look of concern, he must have witnessed Bankotsu at least getting uneasy from the nightmare. Bankotsu then became flustered when he realized that Jakotsu had seen him cry, even if it was in his sleep. 

He dared not tell even Jakotsu anything from his past, lest he’d be forced to relive it. 

“Long enough that doctor Suikotsu is treating us for now. We’re lucky that he’s willing to treat us, even if he doesn’t know how he got here in the first place.”

His answer put Bankotsu at ease. “What a pain in the ass.” 

“Isn’t that why you recruited him in the first place?”

“I thought it was all an elaborate joke on his end.”

Silence befell them as soon as Jakotsu leaned back against the wall and stared at Bankotsu without sparing any judgement. 

It was Jakotsu who broke the silence with a heavy sigh. “I heard that we got ripped off because of some noble freaking out about the nearby villages being ruined. Shows what he knows about war.”

“Yeah, and Renkotsu is out of commission for a bit.” Bankotsu stood up. “Say, how are you holding up anyway?”

“I’m afraid I will have to sit the next mission out as well because of this wound.” Jakotsu pulled up his sleeve and revealed his heavily bandaged arm. “I don’t know when or how I got this, but it was deep enough to cost me one of my arm guards.”

He started to put his hakama and kosode back on, which had the bloodstains washed out of it. “Great, I’ll have to find something easier to do in the meantime while you guys recover. I can’t even bring Suikotsu with me in his state.” 

“Don’t be gone for too long.” Jakotsu said as he walked out of the room. 

Bankotsu realized he couldn’t recall when he and his allies arrived at this fortress, where there was a village in the distance from what he could see when he stepped outside. 

Frigid winds seeped through the walls of stone and wood. On the deck was a young man dressed in light black armor, who turned to Bankotsu as if he was waiting for him. The general took off his helmet and allowed his dark chestnut locks to hang over his shoulders. With the helmet off, Bankotsu found some comfort from the general not appearing to be much older than him- if at all. 

“I was informed by your second in command that you are the leader.” The general said as he ran his hand down the blade of his yari. 

“Why does he always do these things without telling me? Ugh, whatever. Are you looking to hire or to fight?”

The young man smiled in response to Bankotsu’s display of valor. “Someday we may clash in battle, though today I have a request to make.”

“I’d like to know who you are before I take on any job.”

“I am general Hitomi no Hanzo.”

Bankotsu paused before saying anything further. “You’re the daimyo’s second-hand man, aren’t you? Yeah, I think I’ve heard your name floating around from one district to another.”

“I received a threatening letter this morning, regarding my younger sister. She disappeared a week ago and I fear that she’s being held as a bargaining chip by my enemy.” Hanzo crossed his arms. 

“I don’t know who you think I am, but I don’t do rescue missions. Do I look like a gallant hero to you?” His objections were met with silence. 

Then, understanding the circumstances he was in he finally gave in. “Alright fine, but I’m going to need to know how much you’re willing to pay.”

“Whatever amount you demand.” Hanzo turned away with a wistful expression, “Sayaka is the only family I have left; I don’t care about the amount you’ll demand.”

“Deal. I’ll make sure to remember this promise.”

Hanzo smiled softly. “You will have my eternal gratitude. She’s being held at a supply base north from here- right by the abandoned fishing village.”

“Yeah, I think I know what base you’re talking about. Shouldn’t take me too long.” Bankotsu said, “it’ll be a few days before I return. It’s quite a distance.”

Hanzo handed Bankotsu a small bag of gold. “Consider this a down payment, for the trouble of going this soon.”

As soon as Bankotsu had grabbed his zanbato and was at the front gates, he allowed himself to resent the situation he was in. “Tch, she better be cute!” He then looked up to the watchtower, where a guard stood with his bow. “Yo, can I leave now? I’ve got stuff to do outside.”

“Yeah, yeah just give me a moment. Sheesh, you sell swords are so impatient.”

Bankotsu tapped his foot and swung his weapon over his shoulder. “That’s because we don’t have a lot of time to dawdle.” 

A merciless gust of wind blew past Bankotsu as the gates were opened. He could see the sunset in its full display, looming over the wintry landscape before him. He was greeted to the sight of Ginkotsu, who was surrounded by the dead trees at the forest entrance.

Ginkotsu was staring up the tree as the crows cawed, with a spark of intrigue. “Yo, Ginkotsu!” Bankotsu said to catch his attention.

“Yes brother?”

“What are you doing out here, for? Never mind, would you like to go on an adventure with me while Renkotsu recovers? I could really use the backup for this mission.”

“I don’t know if Renkotsu will approve.”

“Eh, he’ll understand that we really need the extra funds to make up for lost time. So, how about it?”

“You promise Renkotsu won’t be mad?”

“I swear on my mother’s grave.”

Without another word, Ginkotsu marched towards the woods.


	3. Sayaka

Chapter 2

A general dressed in heavy navy-blue armor stared down from the observatory tower, near the fortress he had conquered just months prior. He walked back and forth, tapping his foot against the wooden flooring beneath him. The chill from the wintry winds had made even the whisk of hairs on his moustache feel stiff to touch.

“Why is it that Hanzo still hasn’t responded? I spent an entire month carefully laying out this plan of mine, and he has the audacity to ignore me?! I, the Great and Powerful Miyamoto, will not tolerate this insolence.” Miyamoto climbed down the ladder from the tower and his foot contacted the flattened snow beneath as he headed back to the castle. “Oh well, Hanzo is finished either way.”

Much to Miyamoto’s annoyance, a foot soldier ran over to him with a bewildered expression. “Sir, there’s a lone soldier wiping out our forces at the gates. He is accompanied by something completely nonhuman looking, like as if it were a walking weapon.”

Miyamoto crossed his arms and scowled. “Then deal with him.”

“I think General Hanzo hired the Band of Seven’s leader to grab the girl.”

Miyamoto burst out into laughter and pat the soldier on the shoulder while his face became more scarlet by the second. “Now why would any of those mercenaries waste their time doing that? Everyone knows that those sell swords are afflicted with bloodlust; their leader especially has no time to be playing hero. Just kill the imposter when you see him. I will be going back into the castle to go enjoy a nice, long nap.”

Miyamoto took off his helmet and smiled with satisfaction. “There’s no way that anyone is getting past those gates, not if my elite forces have anything to say about it.” He said, snorting to himself as he entered the castle.

He headed down the long corridors and cursed himself when he came upon the steep, narrow stairwells. “Oh, why does it have to be this way?” He complained without an audience and slowly made his way up, cursing himself for having chosen this castle to seize from the previous daimyo. 

Miyamoto almost cried out when he almost fell backwards, had he not caught himself in time to resume climbing up the long stairs. He rejoiced when he finally made it to the top of the stairs and opened the first door to his right. 

In the room, a girl dressed in a pink yukata under a lavender nagabakama stared out the window, the color from her faced was drained as she could watch events from beyond the gates play out. She kept her hair tied back, with only her side locks touching her face.

“Lady Sayaka, is there anything I can do for you? I can ask my servants to grab you some food.” Sayaka shook her head in response. “Still not comfortable with talking, I see. Narusegawa wasn’t kidding when she said you are a quiet young lady.”

She shot a gentle smile over to Miyamoto, who in turn couldn’t help but return with one of his own. 

The tranquil moment was interrupted when one of Miyamoto’s soldiers abruptly slid open the door. “Sir, the enemy just broke the gate down!” Fear crept over Sayaka’s face as she looked out the window, turning away as the snow was dyed red by the fallen soldiers. 

Miyamoto rushed over to the window and slammed his fist against it. “What the hell? Are you telling me that this brat is responsible for the ruckus?! I, the Great and Powerful Miyamoto, will not stand by and be humiliated by this pathetic excuse of a human being.” He turned towards Sayaka, “I’ll be back in a little bit. I’ll go deal with the pest.” 

The general rushed down to his armory and slid open the door with a smirk. “Oh baby, it’s time to get you back to work.” He said as he picked up his most prized possession- his o-zutsu. “I will forever bless the southern barbarians from Hirado.”

After pouring in the black powder, he rushed outside and with his hand canon rested against his shoulder. He peaked out the window, only to see that Bankotsu had made short work of his forces. “Shit, how did it get this bad.” 

With a smirk, Miyamoto walked down the stairs and started taunting Bankotsu. “Well, well, well if it isn’t the gallant hero hired by General Hanzo. Hey kid, if you wanted to play samurai that badly then you should go join a mercenary group or something. Quit pretending to be a big deal!”

Bankotsu arched his brow and tilted his head at the strange comment. “But I am part of a mercenary group.”

Within moment a loud bang followed Miyamoto pulling the trigger of his hand canon. “That’ll teach you for messing with the Great and Powerful Miyamoto, you little prick!” Miyamoto laughed maniacally and patted his canon, “you never fail me my precious. 

Miyamoto laughed too soon. As the gunpowder smoke wore down and the mercenary stood there, staring at the hole in the wall close to where the gate once was. 

“You missed me, and you just shot one of your own guys.” Bankotsu said pointing to the pair of legs that collapsed onto the snow. 

From satisfaction to frustration, Miyamoto pulled the trigger once more only to find that there was no response. “Oh, come on, I just ruined my cool entrance and now can’t even fire? This is the worst day, ever.” 

Miyamoto cursed himself as he realized that he hadn’t brought extra powder with him as Bankotsu started going up the stairs. As the mercenary got closer, Miyamoto took off one of his shoulder guards to reveal an iron sphere, “Now is the time for me to reveal a secret technique passed to me by the demon slayers when I visited their village! An inexperienced colt such as yourself will never see it coming!” 

He spun the bomb in the air with a rope before finally letting it go. As soon as Bankotsu could see it flying towards him, he jumped back and braced himself behind his weapon as the explosion went off. 

Metal shards from the explosives pelted against Bankotsu’s zanbato. Only once the pelting stopped did he look back up the stairs. “Shit… where did he go?!” he resumed climbing the stairs despite the small crater in the center of the stairway. 

\----------------  
Upon seeing the result of Miyamoto’s confrontation, Sayaka left her quarters and dashed down the hall corridors in search of anywhere to hide. She became more terrified when she came upon a dead end. in a panic, she ran to the first room she saw open and then shut the door.

Sayaka bit her lip as she started scratching at her bandaged, trying desperately to find a way out. Her heart raced as the door behind her slid open. The window seemed like a friendly exit as she approached it when faced with the invader from beyond the gates. 

“You’re Hanzo’s sister, right?”

She frantically banged on the windows with her fists as she tried to break free upon hearing that name. Only when Bankotsu grabbed her wrist did she stop. “It’s alright, there’s no need to kill yourself. I’m getting you out of this hostage situation.”

Sayaka tried to free herself from his grip as he walked away with her and grabbed at anything within sight. “What’s your problem? I’m saving you; don’t you get it?” She shook her head. “I can’t go back empty handed, Sayaka. Your brother hired me to go fetch you alive, so I’ve got no intention of letting you go.”

Her thrashing eased and she instead looked down to her feet, resigned from fighting back as she followed him out of the castle. Sayaka’s heart stopped when she saw the Banryu rested against the wall, and then mortified when she witnessed Bankotsu lift it without effort after he let her go. 

Just as they hit the last of the stone stairs, Sayaka looked to her left and watched Miyamoto as he was putting out the flames. She raised her hand ever so slightly, but he did not look at her back. 

“That guy is interesting; I’ll give him that. His enthusiasm for the o-zutsu is one that he shares with a good friend of mine.” Bankotsu said only once they moved past the broken-down gates. “I just didn’t feel like it’d be much of a fair fight if he didn’t have a lot of black powder on him, so I let him live for now.”

Sayaka put a hand over her mouth as she saw the bloodbath just beyond the gates. It wasn’t a battle- it was a slaughter! “Please don’t tell me that you’re bothered by seeing death.” Well, he was at least trying to be polite so far. She was almost flattered he said anything about it, but Sayaka knew that her opinion didn’t matter regardless. 

\---------------

Miyamoto stood just outside the base gates with two spearmen and occasionally peered over to look inside the base.  
It had was already sundown by the time Miyamoto felt comfortable returning to his silent base. “Good thing I learned that trick while I did, otherwise I would be dead at the hands of some no name brat.” Miyamoto laughed, “I will let Hanzo simply think he won for now. Besides, luck was on that boy’s side when he overwhelmed my elite forces. If I ever see him again, I’ll blow him into smithereens” 

“But sir, what about the girl?”

“It’s only a setback, we’ll have to rethink our strategy. I have a feeling that boy wasn’t alone.”

“Um sir, I tried to tell you earlier that he was accompanied by an abomination that was armed with a yari, flying blade saws and had a canon on his back. It was a monstrous sight!” 

Miyamoto paused. “Interesting. Very interesting, did it set the supplies on fire?”

“Yes sir.”

“Coming to think of it, I remember someone describing a mercenary with that same description. In fact, that mercenary was with the band of seven.” Color from Miyamoto’s face suddenly drained. “Oh no, I just made an enemy out of them- didn’t I?”

“That’s a possibility. They say that their leader carries a huge zanbato and is the youngest of them.” 

The guilt gnawed at Miyamoto upon realizing his grave mistake. “Well, since he was hired by Hanzo he won’t take my remarks personally. That means, we need to hire them in order to be forgiven- right?”

From the fallen gates, a horse and rider stood there among the corpses. The one-eyed rider dressed in crimson armor looked over the decimation laid before her. Although her mouth was covered, Miyamoto could tell that she had wanted to scream just from the contempt he could see in her dark eye.  
Her black stallion had towered above any bears in the land and made even the most hardened of warriors’ tremble in fear of being trampled. His hooves could break the earth beneath him if he wished it. Aside from his size, his red eyes gave away to his Yokai heritage from his sire. Attached to a harness on her back was her ono, with a blade twice her size that she wielded with ease.

The fact that the stallion was loyal to the rider terrified Miyamoto; he didn’t know how she managed to tame the beast of a horse. Often those who were unfortunate to face her would be trampled to death long before she’d draw her weapon. 

Miyamoto rushed over to her and immediately started bowing his head. “N-N- Narusegawa, it’s good to see that you’ve decided to grace my base with your presence.”

Narusegawa’s cape gently danced in the wind. “Why is there a sea of corpses on this base?” she said, tapping on her horse’s side and allowing him to approach Miyamoto. 

“Err, well you see the enemy was so devious that he brought a walking weapon with him.”

“A walking weapon…?” Her expression and stance remained unchanged. 

“That is the best description I have for the companion that the brat brought with him! Oh, I’ll kill that colt the next time I see him. I bet he thinks he is a big deal while carrying that oversized zanbato with him.”

Narusegawa furrowed her brow. “Did he give you his name?”

“Why on earth would I even care about the same of some kid? Coming to think of it, he did refer to his abomination of a companion as ‘Ginkotsu’…”

“Don’t tell me that you challenged him.”

“Oh, don’t worry, he fled as soon as he saw me with my weapon, he-he. He did escape with the hostage.”

“You challenged the leader of the seven mercenaries and let him live? You imbecile, do you realize what you’ve done!” As if in sync with her emotions, the stallion pawed at the ground and broke through the rock underneath the snow. 

“To be fair he was a coward who ran away with Lady Sayaka.” 

She unhooked her ono and held it above Miyamoto’s face. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. You better clean up this mess and start recruiting more help before I cut you down where you stand.”

“Yes, My Lady!”

Narusegawa withdrew her ono. “Damn it, Hanzo.” Her stallion then took off into the forest as she cursed herself for not being present.


	4. Quiet Travels

Chapter 3

Sayaka followed Bankotsu around like a lost child throughout the woods. “We’re going to wait here for my friend.” He said, leaning against a tree with his arms folded. “I really hope he didn’t get caught in the crossfires, otherwise I’m going to be really screwed when I return without him. He better shows up before it gets too dark.”

The poor girl shivered as it started to get darker and leaned against a tree. “Sorry. We’ll be out of the cold soon enough.” He couldn’t fathom why he felt the need to be polite to Sayaka, though he figured he’d grit his teeth through it until she was back with Hanzo. She wrapped herself with the haori she snagged from one of the corpses earlier. 

“You don’t talk much, do you?” She shook her head in response much to Bankotsu’s annoyance. “So, I’m stuck carrying on a conversation by myself? Well this sucks.” Sayaka then picked up the nearest stick, tugged on Bankotsu’s sleeve and started writing in the snow.

“I’m not supposed to speak to men.” She wrote. 

“There is no one out here except for the two of us, you’ll be fine.” He couldn’t believe what he was saying. No matter what he said, she remained silent. 

When Bankotsu could see the familiar machine in the far-off distance, he turned to Sayaka. “Look, I know my friend looks scary, but I need you to stay near me until we get back- alright? I don’t have patience for weak girls, so the least you can do is be smart and not wander off. Besides, I can’t guarantee your safety if you were to get kidnapped again.”

Ginkotsu stopped a few feet away from Bankotsu. “They gave me quite the chase, but in the end, they were no match for me.” He chuckled through his metallic mouth, “it was a spectacle to behold.”

“What matters is that you’ve returned. I bet Renkotsu will be happy to know that his upgrades were useful to you.”

The conversation was cut short when Sayaka approached Ginkotsu not with fear, but fascination instead. She tilted her head as she looked over him. “Gesch… You’re not scared?” Ginkotsu rose his brow when Sayaka shook her head. The machine-man stood still as Sayaka studied... everything. From his spear arm to the saws resting on his back, Sayaka was as confused as she was fascinated with his appearance. 

Sayaka’s reaction to Ginkotsu had thrown Bankotsu completely off. “You know, most people don’t usually live long enough to figure out what he is as soon as they see him.” she turned around and returned to Bankotsu’s side, while keeping her eye on Ginkotsu. 

“Don’t get too attached to her, she’s not going to be tagging along with us- Jakotsu would kill her on sight.” Bankotsu said as he started to walk forward. 

“I know.”

Undeterred by Bankotsu’s comments, Sayaka tugged on his sleeve as she pointed at a flock of crows with the enthusiasm of a child. “They’re just three eyed crows. Disgusting creatures if you ask me; I heard that they will burrow their way into a human body just to dance around in it.” Sayaka frowned and continued to follow Bankotsu. “You don’t go out a whole lot, do you?”

Sayaka shook her head.

“Thought so. You should consider yourself lucky that you’re hanging out with me and not getting killed on the spot.” Bankotsu laughed. “You know, I wish I could just have tag around to pour sake once in a while.”

Not even Ginkotsu was laughing. Sayaka tilted her head in confusion from Bankotsu’s comment.

“Oh, come on, I’m doing my best to carry on some type of conversation. It gets boring otherwise. Okay, I don’t think you’d be suited to travel a whole lot because you don’t seem strong enough to keep up with the rest of us…”

Sayaka shrugged.

“Gesh. She’s too good for that lifestyle anyway. Much better off being a military advisor like Renkotsu was for a little bit.”

Bankotsu looked over to Ginkotsu. “He was a monk before he joined us.”

“He grew up as a monk, but then at some point became a military advisor for a short bit. Gesh. At least that’s what he told me.”

It was in that moment Bankotsu realized how little he knew his comrades, if at all aside from Jakotsu. He barely remembered when Ginkotsu joined, as if appearing out of nowhere. “I’ll need to talk to him more. So, do you remember when you met Renkotsu?”

“Gesh… no, actually. Everything before Renkotsu is nothing except that I was near death by a riverbank, without the ability to move or stand. Then it was complete darkness, in a temple. I don’t even remember my birthname.”

“That sounds pretty rough.” Bankotsu said. “I wish I could just forget most of my life like that, just so all my memories are only with you guys. Yet, my past haunts me in my sleep.”

“Gesh, I’ve heard some of the things you say in your sleep.” 

Sayaka managed to barely keep up with Ginkotsu as she could feel the snow crawling into her boots with every step she took. “Come on slowpoke, I don’t have all night.” Bankotsu said as he allowed his impatience to be known. 

\---------------------------------------------

It was already daybreak when Bankotsu reached the familiar sight of the imposing stone wall which concealed Hanzo’s fortress. Color completely drained from Sayaka’s face once she realized where they were. 

The wooden gates slowly opened while Sayaka contemplated her escape; it couldn’t be that bad if she were to sprint- would it? Her contemplating stopped only when she caught sight of a black wolf glaring at her; reminding her now more than ever there was no escape.

She glared back at the wolf as she suddenly embraced Bankotsu, without taking her eyes off the creature in the distance. “Hey, what’s gotten into you all the sudden?” His question remained unanswered as she stepped away from him and looked away.

“Hands off the Lady!” Shouted a soldier, who frantically ran over to the two. “If general Hanzo saw you embracing her then he would strike you down where you stand. Low lives such as yourself have no right to lay your hands on her.”

Under any other circumstance, Bankotsu would’ve at least knocked the man over with a punch to the face; yet he found himself trying to keep up with a calmer composure knowing that it would be all over soon. “Sorry, it’s not like I pulled her into a hug or anything.”

His apology went unheard as the soldier’s attention was fixated on Sayaka. “And you, Lady Sayaka- do you understand the uproar you caused? Your elder brother was losing his mind. Had you been a day later, Hanzo would be making heads roll.” 

“Watch your tongue, all that matters that she has been returned to me in good health. I must thank the gentleman for ensuring her safety.” Hanzo rode towards them on his grey stallion, followed by three black wolves. “Dearest Sayaka, why don’t you go inside before you freeze to death out here? A red face does not suit you.”

Once Sayaka was out of sight, Hanzo turned his attention to Bankotsu. “Your men seem to be feeling better now that they’re no longer staying cooped up in the barracks. Is it too soon to ask you for another favor?”

“Depends on how soon I receive my payment.”

“Take this.” Hanzo tossed Bankotsu a heavy bag. “Consider it payment for returning Sayaka.”

Bankotsu smirked after opening the bag. “Alright, who needs rescuing this time?”

“Nobody will be rescued when you and your men are over at Miyamoto’s castle in the eastern province. That fool thought it would be a good idea to keep Sayaka hostage in the fortress he had barely managed to seize from me days before; one he could barely defend for long.” Hanzo chuckled and hopped off his horse. “I’d like you and your men to destroy his main castle. If possible, kill him if he tries to flee.”

“About damn time I get to do a siege. So, how picky are you about how much structural damage is done? Just a while back I got yelled at by one of your guys over some damaged buildings.”

“Pillage as you please. If anyone stands in your way, kill them even if they happen to be a woman or child.” Hanzo dropped his smile as he started speaking in a voice low enough that only Bankotsu could hear. “Let your men do as they please after the siege, just so long as nothing remains of Miyamoto’s legacy. That general has been a thorn in my side for far too long.”

He knew full well what his comrades were capable of when all restrictions were off; it should have made Bankotsu full of glee, yet there was something he found incredibly unsettling about the conditions that he couldn’t put his finger on. Most lords would at least request that the structure of the castle remain standing.

“I’ll see to it that it gets done. In the meantime, be nice to your sister- she seems like a nice girl.” Even though Bankotsu could barely see Hanzo’s eyes through the stone mask, he could tell that the general was displeased with the comments. 

“Do not fret for her, I treat her with the respect she deserves. She is a frail girl, so I was worried that she would die under Miyamoto’s care without her doctor’s care.” Hanzo said as he put his foot into the stirrup of his horse’s saddle. “Come inside the castle over there if you wish to discuss further details.”

Hanzo rode off before Bankotsu could comment any further. Ginkotsu quietly stood next to him, watching the general ride off alongside the black wolves. Gesh. I’ll go see Renkotsu.”

“Good idea. He might want to do some adjustments on you.” Bankotsu then added, “make sure you tell the others to get ready for the next job. They’ve rested long enough.” 

With Ginkotsu heading towards the barracks, Bankotsu started walking towards the castle. There was nothing inside the structure that impressed him anymore; all he could think of was the most effective means to destroy it in the timeliest manner. 

To his surprise, Hanzo was standing not too far from the entrance- still in his black armor. His mask was off, revealing his scowl that never faded away. 

Sayaka quietly stood next to Hanzo, without uttering as much of a single word. She stared down at the wooden floor while scratching the bandages on her arms until she drew blood. “According to what the shinobi reported, Miyamoto has set up multiple watch towers throughout the forest where his castle stands. It would be wise for you to investigate where the blind spots are, if possible.”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll have it all under control. As long as I have Banryu that is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late, I know but I've been busy over the holidays.


	5. Dark Riders

Chapter 4

Suikotsu ran the dark stone up and down the blades on his gloves in the early morning hours, with only the campfire outside to provide him with any light in the abandoned Minka. Next time him, Jakotsu sat there shivering while wrapped in layers of fabric. “Hey Jakotsu!” In the corner, their leader’s zanbato leaned against the wall. 

“Yes?” Jakotsu answered through chattering teeth. 

After a couple more strokes with the stone, Suikotsu ran his finger across each blade before hooking them back onto his leather glove. “Where did Big Brother go? We came all the way out here only for him to disappear, without his weapon no less!” 

Jakotsu scoffed. “Well duh, that’s because he doesn’t like horseback riding with his weapon.”

“Wait… riding… a horse?” Suikotsu set the gloves down. If there was anything that was unusual, aside from Bankotsu leaving his prized weapon behind, it was the same man getting on the back of a horse never mind riding. 

“What else would I be referring to? Didn’t you hear him when he said he paid for a horse and will return in the morning?” Jakotsu replied with a tinge of annoyance. 

Suikotsu started snickering. “He must have fallen off numerous times by now.” He couldn’t deny that the mental image of his leader barely holding on was highly amusing. 

“Bankotsu is pretty talented on horseback; he’d put a lot of samurai to shame if they were to ever compare to him.” Jakotsu closed the blinds and stretched before laying down on the floor. “He just doesn’t like riding in the battlefield because horses are unpredictable.”

Suikotsu leaned against the wall and scoffed. “I have a hard time believing that. No offense, he doesn’t have the grace or discipline for that.”

The door opened once more- the poison master himself waddled in and set his belongings down before sighing heavily. “It’s been a long day.” Mukotsu muttered, “I wish that big brother didn’t insist on covering this much footing in one day.”

“Well, that Hanzo guy insisted that we get to destroying that castle as soon as possible. We’ll be attacking by the next nightfall.” Jakotsu wanted to admit that he shared the same woes, but he had been far too exhausted to really complain. “I’m worried the fact Bankotsu is out there unarmed. He’ll get jumped!”

“Don’t worry, he’s armed with a smaller weapon. I made sure to give him the poisoned arrows in case he runs into trouble; as long as he doesn’t fall from the horse, he should be fine.” Mukotsu said, taking pride in his work. “I must say, it was wise to get a light but deadly defense.”

‘Of course, he’s smart enough to ask Mukotsu for something to defend himself with.’

\----------

‘Holy hell is this forest deep.’’ Bankotsu gently pulled on the mare’s reigns as soon as he caught sight of the first watch tower, only being able to admire the structure for only a moment. The little red mare snorted and pulled her head down in response to the sudden halt and pawed at the snow below her. 

He pulled the hood of his cloak over him as the winds picked up. Every now and then, he looked up to the sky searching for the first glimpse of sun rise. 

“Big brother, I got this from the traders. It might be useful for when it gets unbearably cold. Apparently, people overseas live in a much colder climate than we do.”

If there was anything that he was grateful for, it was that Renkotsu seemed well verse at the trading docks- enough so that they were able to get their hands-on tools that helped them through the roughest of patches. It baffled him how Renkotsu was able to trade with the barbarians at all; their language was difficult to understand. He knew all too well how many warlords were more than happy to interact with the traders; especially as of late, with the increasing number of exotic items they were getting their hands on.

The mare climbed up the steep hill, snorting as the wintry winds picked up. ‘Shit, what the hell?!’ On the other side of the hill was the castle, surrounded by an imposing wall and had watch towers in every corner. ‘Well this makes it more complicated.’ 

Before he realized it, the sky had been getting brighter with each passing second as he searched every corner of the forest in search of more watch towers. As soon as he was able to make out every strand of hair on the mare’s mane, he had noticed that the morning star’s grand entrance revealed another watchtower hidden within the trees.

“Hey you! What business do you have here?”

Bankotsu’s heart jumped upon hearing the guard’s voice from the tower. He was now able to see the archer; at least clear enough to see that he was aiming his arrow. With no desire to carry on the conversation, Bankotsu grabbed his bow and fired off before giving the archer any chance to do so first. He only stuck around long enough to watch the arrow penetrate the archer’s eye before kicking the mare’s side into a full gallop. 

‘Fuck… fuck…. FUCK!’

It was all that went through his mind as the mare raced through the forest while arrows rained down whenever they passed a tower. He cursed himself for not paying attention to the sunrise. He briefly turned around to see that he was being pursed by four cavalry archers. In any other battle, he would’ve had the advantage with his Banryu on foot. Now, he had to rely on the mare’s accelerated speed thanks to the steep forest to just evade these men. One arrow managed to lightly graze his cheek as the others flew past him. 

Only when the mare proved she was able to outrun the pursuers did Bankotsu go into the narrower path; where he knew that those horses and their overdressed riders couldn’t easily catch up with him. Using the shadows of the forest as his shield, he started firing off the poisoned arrows to take out the riders as they frantically tried searching for him.

With each arrow, Bankotsu could hear the echoes of his previous fallen leader; criticizing any wasted shots if a rider was lucky enough to dodge in time. 

“Listen here brat, if you don’t learn how to aim that damn arrow then you’re going to get us all killed in battle! You think the enemy is going to wait for you to catch your balance?”

“Ryutaro… my hands are still hurting from training yesterday.”

“You better get used to those blisters if you ever hope to wield a blade someday! Rough hands don’t come out of nowhere you little brat.”

The one rider who didn’t get a fatal headshot had still fallen off his horse, screaming out incoherent sentences as the hallucinations started to kick in within seconds. ‘Why am I remembering his face now?’ He could almost feel Ryutaro scowling at him with contempt from a distance, to the point where he was expecting to get punched if he were to fail to regain composure.

Archery wasn’t a skill he worked on for a long time and only now did he see how rusted his skills have gotten. It wasn’t until the last of the archers fell from their horses, he was comfortable enough to rejoin his brothers. 

He hopped off the panting chestnut mare and patted her neck before grabbing the reins to lead her back to her owner. “You’re a good girl.” He couldn’t recall the last time he ever had gotten this close to a horse that didn’t belong to an enemy soldier; she was his for now. With the morning star out in full force, it didn’t take very long to find the farmer he loaned her from 

A young girl ran out from her home, accompanied by her grandfather. “Aya, you came back!” she gleefully ran up to the mare. “Thank you for returning Aya home.”

“I told you that she’d come back in one piece, didn’t I? She’s faster than those cavalry horses.”

The elderly man walked over to the girl. “Why don’t you tend to Aya for a bit while I talk to the gentleman here?” Aya practically pranced with the girl as they headed back to their farm. “So, did you get to see how many towers were up?”

Bankotsu nodded. “A lot more than I anticipated. I was worried that I wouldn’t make it alive, with how many of them there were throughout the woods. Otherwise, I think I’ll be able to take down Miyamoto.”

“I’m grateful that someone is at least trying to put an end to all of this misery. His men have been harassing the girls around here for far too long.” 

Harassing was a severe understatement; even Bankotsu knew what those men were really doing to any woman unfortunate enough to cross their path. He had seen it far too often in the village he grew up in after it got pillaged by outside forces. 

“I’m only here on an assignment, nothing more.” Bankotsu replied as he had to remind himself that he wasn’t doing any of this out of charity or genuine hatred of Miyamoto. A hero would be acting out of a selfless sense of justice that would be considered suicidal. He did, however, get a thrill out of all this—he knew if his group succeeds, this would at least gain a place in local legends at the minimum. In a way, he wanted it to be that way.

“I’m aware you’re the leader of the seven mercenaries. Even so, I thank you all the same regardless of your intention; if successful you are free to come here and pick up whatever supplies I can provide.”

“Take care.”

\-------------------

A frantic soldier rushed into Miyamoto’s quarters, panting as his straw hat fell off; revealing his bald head before he promptly put it back on. “Sir, I have terrible news- I just found the bodies of our fallen cavalry archers! To make matters worse, our allies were just brutally murdered by a devilishly handsome man wearing an aqua bandana.”

“Are you telling me that our elite archers were taken down so easily by one rider?! And you didn’t think to mention something earlier?” Miyamoto said with his arms crossed as he tried to process what he had just been told. 

The meek soldier trembled as he explained, “Sir, to be fair we just found their bodies after looking all day.”

Miyamoto looked out the window as the sun started to set that day. “Who the hell would pick a fight with us all the way out here?! Don’t they know that they’re at a severe disadvantage to attack me in my turf?” A sense of dread befell him. “It is a good thing that I was resourceful enough to have built all twenty of those watchtowers months ago.”

“With all due respect sir, I think it was one of Hanzo’s spies.”

“How does that worm manage to always be one step ahead of me?!” Miyamoto groaned. “No matter, I the Great and Powerful Miyamoto, am smart enough to have sent all the best bowmen to patrol around the wall so that Hanzo’s dogs will be skewered on sight. Once I am through with them, I will send my elite forces to assist General Narusegawa in pillaging the north. I can’t wait to hear Hanzo beg for mercy when he’s face to face with my O-zutsu!” 

Just as Miyamoto was laughing, he could pick up the faint scent of smoke that he initially chose to ignore. “Ah yes, I will blow Hanzo into smithereens and feed his corpse to his dogs. It’d be perfect!”

An ignited arrow suddenly crashed through the window. “What in the hell?!” Miyamoto shouted as he grabbed the end of the arrow and chucked it outside; only soon to realize his effort was in vain as the dancing flames were already spreading through the room. He picked his O-zutsu up.

“Quickly, evacuate the castle!” he shouted to the soldiers as he rushed out of the castle and saw that the barracks were engulfed by a massive fire. “Why is my base on fire?!” 

Before he could shout any commands, soldiers were already being blown away by Ginkotsu’s canon fire. It was then Miyamoto noticed the huge hole in the imposing stone wall. “What in the hell?! When did this happen- why didn’t anyone inform me of this?!” His questions were soon answered as the leader of the seven seemingly walked through the flames to greet Miyamoto.

“Well, well if it isn’t the Great and Powerful Miyamoto. Did you miss me?” Bankotsu’s taunting had only rubbed salt into the wound for Miyamoto as he watched his soldiers scream in agony from their fabrics catching fire. 

“You again!” Was all Miyamoto could think to say as he decided to forego his O-Zutsu and unsheathed his katana. 

“I thought I’d introduce you to my friends this time! Your guards didn’t let us in, so we made our own entrance. I hope that’s okay.” Bankotsu said with a smirk. “So, was this where you keeping your best men at? You need to hire better help or something, because that was pathetic.”

“You son of a bitch!” Miyamoto turned back to the approaching group of infantry rushing down the stairs from the burning castle. “Send out the whole army to kill them all where they stand. They were devious enough to attack us during nightfall.”

The soldiers stopped moving. “What the hell are you doing? Get a move on!” a sheen of light bounced off a series of wires that led to the bottom of the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a lone soldier, who appeared to be holding onto a bunch of metallic wires.

Miyamoto paused as he studied the soldier; it appeared to be one of his men until the wires became ignited and traveled up to the others. “It looks like you fell for my classic art of disguise!” The soldier said as he threw his straw hat off, revealing the purple marks on his face with a satisfied smile. 

Renkotsu yanked on the wires and allowed the bodies to roll down the stairs. He then bowed. “How did you enjoy my performance as your lackey? I take great pride in my acting.” 

“I should have suspected something was off about you! Die you son of a bitch.” Miyamoto rushed over with his katana, letting out a battle cry right before he noticed that wires had grabbed a hold of the blade. 

“Aw come on Renkotsu, don’t disarm him.” Bankotsu said as a group of cavalry rushed towards him. They soon regretted charging towards him once they saw the size of the Banryu; but only after their horses crushed them seconds later.

Renkotsu pulled his wires back and freed the katana before tossing it back to Miyamoto. “Well, you’ve gone awfully soft on our foes, big brother.” 

The castle started to collapse as the flames started to spread onto other nearby structures. Miyamoto charged at Bankotsu with the katana. “Oh, come on general, you can’t be this stupid.” Bankotsu said as he swung his weapon over Miyamoto’s elbow. “You should know better than to blindly charge at your enemies.”

“Augh! My arm!” Miyamoto fell to the ground and screamed in agony over his loss. 

Limbs flew in the air as Jakotsu swung his blade amid the blazing night; it was almost as if he was dancing to the ballad of death. Anyone fortunate enough to dodge his blades would soon be confronted by the unhinged claw wielder, Suikotsu, who charged at them with the strength and rage of a tiger. 

“Hanzo better pay us extra for all the trouble those watch towers put us through. Good thing Jakotsu was able to figure out where the blind spot was, otherwise, I think we would’ve been killed back there.” 

Miyamoto slowly regained enough composure to stand up once more and glared at Bankotsu. “You won’t be getting paid as long as Narusegawa has anything to say about it.” The general chuckled, “she’s already heading up north to kill Hanzo and decimate his forces.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to make her pay the owed wages.” Bankotsu replied as he lifted his weapon. “Anything else you’d like to say before I send you to hell?”

“There is one request I’d like to make.” 

Bankotsu arched a brow. “A request?”

“Before you chop my head off, I have a request regarding La—”

An arrow penetrated Miyamoto’s throat before he could finish speaking. Bankotsu turned around and saw a group of bowmen riders dressed in black armour, followed by the same wolves he had seen at Hanzo’s base. Just as soon as they appeared, the riders disappeared into the flames after silencing Miyamoto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay- so I had to use some artistic liberty with the Band of Seven thus far.


	6. Akihiko, Prince of Crows

Chapter 5

“Lord Akihiko, I’m afraid I have terrible news.”

A silver haired and golden eyed man no older than his late teens stood amid a field of corpses that were being torn apart by the three eyed crows. One crow was perched on the man’s shoulder and glanced over at the messenger. Akihiko, as he was known, called upon his crows as he offered them the bodies of his enemies. 

“General Miyamoto has fallen? I already know this.” Akihiko replied as the crow flew off his shoulder. “How unfortunate.”

“How did you find out?”

Akihiko pointed to the crows and smiled gently. “My darlings broke the news to me.” He tied his shoulder length hair into a high ponytail. “I suppose I should temporarily drop my ethics and hire the Band of Seven myself.”

“What for?”

Akihiko approached the soldier as the crows fluttered off into the grey skies. “Although I am confident in Narusegawa’s skills, I’m not going to place all of my bets on her. What if she should fall in one of her many sieges of Hanzo’s estates? Then, I will never see Sayaka, my beloved little Kirin, ever again.”

“Do you think it’d be wise to hire a bunch of sell swords? Their loyalty is limited.”

“As long as I pay whatever they demand, they will remain loyal to me.” Akihiko said as he put a hand on the soldier’s shoulder. “I must say that from what the crows have told me I’m quite impressed with their skills. It would have taken an army of at least one hundred to destroy that estate; never mind getting past the watch towers.”

Akihiko stared into the sky as he drowned in his fascination. “The leader even put his own life at risk just to try to find the blind spot.”

“He was also the one hired to take Sayaka back from Miyamoto in the first place.”

“That just makes it even more enticing for me. She’ll be in good hands if I could make him mine, then we’d be able to end these wars once and for all.” Akihiko then added, “One more thing- please do tell Narusegawa to proceed to the northern base—she will no doubt catch up with the mercenaries. I’d like her to test their skills.”

The servant trembled. “But, she’s our most valued ally.”

“I know. That’s why I will be coming along to watch the show down. Gather our forces, we will be heading north.” Akihiko finished polishing his silver armour with a satisfied expression, “I would like to see how they’ll respond to the prospect of losing their payment for their service.”

\---------

The sunrise among the villagers did not bring the usual misery that overthrowing a warlord often brought. Rather than hide inside their homes, even the children were outside watching the mercenaries with fascination. There were at least some tears shed by the time they’d approach the village, yet this time the Band of Seven were being looked upon with admiration. 

Although Hanzo ordered for their deaths, for reasons beyond even Bankotsu, he chose to show mercy this time. Was it because they seemed supportive of Miyamoto being taken out? 

Jakotsu furrowed his brow and whispered to Bankotsu. “Uh, why do the villagers seem awfully happy to see us right now?” 

“You’re all disgustingly happy. Shed some tears for your fallen lord already!” Suikotsu shouted, as he put his gloves back on. He would have charged into battle if not for Bankotsu raising his hand; sending the clear signal to Suikotsu to not get aggressive. 

“Now we can rebuild what we have lost to those men, thanks to you overthrowing Miyamoto.”

Renkotsu then said, “we are nothing more than mercenaries. You have no lord to pledge loyalty towards.”

A small boy approached them, with a bag full of firewood, and shook his head. “No way! That’s amazing. You guys are so cool!” the boy soon rejoined his family after being called upon. “I hope to be as strong as you all when I’m older.”

“I beg your pardon?” Renkotsu found it baffling, more so than Bankotsu telling the group the night before not to get hostile with locals. What could be gained from sparing them? Normally, they’d all have been purged by now. 

“You’re exactly the kind of warriors that shake warlords to the core! Without any sort of noble background, you have nothing to lose by overthrowing them if they stand in your way.” A woman said. “There’s something to be said about that.”

“When you put it that way…” Bankotsu lowered his zanbato, “we kind of do make them all uneasy.” 

Jakotsu shook his head and shouted. “We’re not heroes!”

In response, Bankotsu smirked and put an arm around Jakotsu. “Come on, can’t we bask in a little glory once in a while?” 

“Ugh, fine. But let’s not turn this into a habit.” Jakotsu could see the confusion from the other members; right before he wondered where Kyokotsu had gone. It wasn’t until he saw the giant’s face among the trees did Jakotsu figure he had gone hunting.

Ginkotsu paused in his steps when a group of children approached him holding up a basket of gifts. “Grampa says that you might need these.” The walking siege had no idea what to make of any of this but accepted the gift without uttering a word.

The villagers eventually went back to work, shortly after the mercenaries started to leave. Shrivelled trees became the only thing they could see for miles ahead. Untouched snow crunched under their feet, the only noise they could hear for some time. 

Suikotsu finally broke the silence. “Why are we all being so quiet right now? I’m getting bored just looking at trees and nothing more.”

“Not sure, I guess there’s nothing to talk about.” Bankotsu replied.

“Of course, there’s plenty to talk about—why don’t you tell us what you and Ginkotsu were up to while the rest of us were recovering? I’m sure that’s an interesting story.” 

“Oh, you mean the job I was set up for by Renkotsu?” Bankotsu paused, “well, it was the first time I met up with General Hanzo. He just wanted me to save his little sister from Miyamoto at one of the fortresses that were seized.”

Suikotsu interrupted, “Was she worth your time?”

“No, she outright refused to speak to me. Anyways, I got her back to the base and that’s about it; not much else, other than a pathetically easy battle with Miyamoto’s ‘elite’ forces.” Bankotsu said as he pointed to Ginkotsu’s direction. “He left a huge hole in the wall. I hope Hanzo doesn’t care.”

Jakotsu leaned into Bankotsu, sighing. “I guess it’s a good thing she didn’t manage to snag you away from us.”

“Tch, she came off as too much of a princess anyway; not my type.” 

The group had once again fell silent as they moved onto a more open path. Bankotsu found himself pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, just as the others did once the snowfall began to hit them in earnest. It was another reason for Bankotsu to dislike the quieter times; at least if he was in battle, he’d eventually be warm enough to not need this extra weight on his body.

Only Kyokotsu moved through the incoming storm without anything to cover him… it made Bankotsu wonder if the giant was even capable of being bothered by the climate. 

‘Were we being spied on last night? It shouldn’t bother me, yet I can’t help but wonder where those riders came from before they disappeared.’

As it was getting too silent, Ginkotsu finally said something. “Gesh, is something bothering you?”

“Did you see what those dark riders looked like last night?”

“Dark riders…?”

“Yeah, there were a bunch of them who randomly showed up and killed Miyamoto before I could chop off his fucking head. I really wanted to hear whatever weird request of his that he had.”

“Gesh… To be honest, I was busy chopping up the spearmen to notice.”

He looked back to the other mercenaries. “Did anyone else see them?”

Jakotsu nodded. “I saw them just as they were leaving. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to stop them, their horses were too fast.” He shivered, “I won’t lie, they gave me the creeps for some reason.”

‘You and I both.’ Bankotsu dared not to say anything further. 

\---------------------------

Even Bankotsu found the sight of impaled bodies hanging just outside the walls of Hanzo’s base unnerving. Judging by their crimson armor, Bankotsu realized that they had to have been Miyamoto’s men. To their left, the corpses of more fallen warriors hung from the trees with bloodied hands. He at prided himself in always letting his opponents die in battle and leave their corpses alone—the desecration seemed a bit much, even by his own hazy standards. 

‘Guess Hanzo really had to drill it home that he doesn’t tolerate trespassers.’

She peeked out from behind the wooden pillar and concealed herself as soon as she made eye contact with Bankotsu. Only when Sayaka looked out again did she realize that he had been staring back at her in her feeble attempts to keep herself hidden. 

He smirked as Sayaka finally moved away from the pillar and tried to conceal her now crimson face behind her sleeves. ‘Damn, is she flustered already? I didn’t even have to do anything to get her at this point.’ 

Jakotsu smacked the back of his leader’s head. “Stop gawking at her, you idiot! Do you want to get us all killed?”

Bankotsu rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m not doing anything!” It would have been easy to dismiss Jakotsu’s concerns, had he not seen the open graveyard just outside of the walls. Even so- he hadn’t done enough to warrant that kind of response. 

Jakotsu crossed his arms and huffed. “Your trail of broken hearts is long enough as is.” Just as he spoke, Sayaka slowly approached them with caution and fascination; holding something in her arms that was wrapped in cloth. “Look lady, we aren’t interested in being impaled on pikes by your brother.”

“Don’t be rude.” Bankotsu said and then turned his attention towards Sayaka, “You have something to say?”

She unwrapped the fabric and handed him a blue hair pin. Bankotsu arched his brow in confusion. “I can’t wear this.” He said.

The azure pin had an intricate scale pattern on it. “Return it if you cannot sell it.” She was as soft spoken as he’d imagined, yet he still was surprised to hear her speak. Bankotsu was almost ready to brush it off as a romantic gesture on her part until he could feel her trembling hand. From what little of her arms he could see, they were bandaged.

Every fiber of her being was calling out for help. Any kind. Was she trying to hire him for something? Looking back at the pin, Bankotsu realized he could sell it to any reputable merchant for decent sum due to how hard it was to come by pins such as this; only the wealthiest could afford it. He handed the pin to Jakotsu.

Sayaka nearly screamed as Hanzo placed his large hand on her shoulder as he towered over her. “Sayaka, what are you doing out here? I could have sworn I told you to remain in your quarters until I request your presence.” Something about the way Hanzo spoke rubbed Bankotsu the wrong way- yet he chose to keep silent for now.

Anyone could see the fear in her light grey eyes as she slowly backed away from Hanzo. “It’s pretty cold outside today, isn’t it?” Bankotsu tried to shift his thoughts away from the girl. 

Hanzo handed Bankotsu a heavy bag. “As promised, here.”

“I heard there’s another general giving you trouble. Narusegawa was it?” 

“It is nothing more than a quarrel. You are free from hereon.”

Hanzo watched the mercenaries leave with critical eyes before he whispered to one of his guards approached him. “Shall we handle them?”

“Not today. I will not hesitate to eliminate them.” 

Just as Sayaka thought she was able to escape, Hanzo called over to her. “Sayaka, follow me.” 

Just as the mercenaries left, Hanzo led Sayaka to the balcony of the fortress and pointed to the corpses dangling from the trees. “If you don’t want your mountain of bodies to become any bigger, I suggest you stay put right where you are. Your recklessness has led to their unneeded deaths.”

Hanzo wrapped his arms around Sayaka in close and whispered into her ear. “No matter where you run off to, my wolves will always track you down. There will always be someone I can hire to bring you back to me even if you were to kill my wolves. No man in this entire land can best me in combat, remember that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit's about to hit the fan pretty soon.
> 
> I will try to get chapter 6 done later


	7. The Ambush

“Where to now, big brother?” Renkotsu asked when the fortress had been out of sight for miles. 

Bankotsu pointed to the blue hairpin that Jakotsu was holding, the effeminate man being too busy admiring it to pay any attention. “I got that hairpin to sell off.”

Renkotsu stared at the pin for a moment with skepticism before looking back to his leader. “That looks expensive.” 

“Yeah, I know. I think Sayaka wants to hire us, but she didn’t say what she wanted us to do.” He tried to push it aside, he couldn’t stop being disturbed by her behaviour. It confused him; he had relished in the screams of warriors pleading for mercy in the battlefield, yet now he wanted to turn around and ask the girl what her issue is. In all nineteen years, he had never felt empowered yet helpless. 

“I wouldn’t mind accepting it as a gift.” Jakotsu ran his finger up and down the hairpin. His joy soon came to an end once Suikotsu snatched it away. 

“You’ve already got enough hairpins.”

Unwilling to let go of an exquisite accessory, Jakotsu reached his hands out to Suikotsu and hopped up and down as he tried to retrieve the pin back. “Mind your own business, Suikotsu. I think it’s really pretty.” He shouted as Suikotsu kept his arm up in the air with a smirk.

Suikotsu smirked. “Take it back, then. If you can reach.” 

Renkotsu and Ginkotsu both remained silent and watched the commotion as if a comedic play was unfolding before them. It wasn’t until Bankotsu was far enough ahead with the other two did he stop and glare at the rest of his comrades. “I swear, if we miss an opportunity because you of you jokers then I’m going to be really pissed.”

Peace restored, until Renkotsu suddenly halted. “Do you hear that?” 

Thundering hoof beats charged towards them from over a hill, as the riders let out their battle cries with their yari drawn. Bankotsu looked over to Renkotsu and without even giving his strategist a chance to speak said, “we ain’t got time for a strategy, just survive!”

“Never said we needed one.” Renkotsu replied as he pulled the cap off his bottle. “Ginkotsu, do you think you can slow them down a little?”

“Gesh.” Was all he could say as he fired off his saws into the stampeding horses.

Jakotsu stepped forward with an ecstatic smile as he swung his snake blade. “Just when I was starting to get bored too. Thank goodness.” He gleefully watched as cavalry were dismembered almost instantly with every flicker of the handle. 

The ear-piercing bang from the enemy o-zutsu left swift indents in the earth below the frozen snow. Infantry charged at them and in their madness, with some regretting their decision as they had limbs flying off after Ginkotsu fired off his saws. 

There seemed to be no end to the forces which kept charging at the mercenaries. No matter how many cavalry men he sent flying off their horses with a single swing of his zanbato, they just kept coming towards Bankotsu’s direction. He paused for only a second to see the black and gold flag they carried. 

‘They’re Hanzo’s men! Why are they attacking us?’ 

A stream of arrows flew past Bankotsu, hitting the incoming riders as they were charging towards him. The panicked horses galloped past him as the fresh corpses fell off their backs, neighing as they did not know where else to turn to. 

Behind him was another army. “Fall back!” shouted the first soldier who rode up to Bankotsu, “fall back and let us deal with Hanzo’s troops.”

“Like hell we’re letting you steal our glory!” Bankotsu shouted back with a smirk. “I was just getting warmed up.” 

The soldier drew his katana as another clashed with him. “Suit yourself!” 

‘I guess that evens out the odds a little… not like we needed their help.’

Bankotsu turned to his fellow mercenaries. “Do not let any of Hanzo’s men live.” He shouted as he resumed the clashing of the blades. One by one, the soldiers collapsed. The sun had started to set once the last soldier fell off his horse, and Bankotsu was at enough ease to lower his weapon. 

Much to the mercenaries’ confusion, the troops cheered. “You guys were great; the rumors were true.” 

“I guess General Narusegawa doesn’t need to test you after all.”

The comments baffled Bankotsu. Although he took great pride in his fighting spirit, he wasn’t used to hearing this much praise- much less from soldiers of their caliber. Renkotsu rejoined Bankotsu’s side, sharing his confusion. “We’ve been receiving a lot of praise lately.” Renkotsu whispered. 

Bankotsu nodded. “I know, it’s weird isn’t it? I’d be careful about soaking in it in.”

“Lord Akihiko, we managed to save them!” One of the allied cavalry shouted. Bankotsu rolled his eyes- he would have been fine; it just would’ve taken a little longer. Alas, he chose to let the men be proud of their valor. 

A light flickered from over the hill, with a grey mare stood there with her rider overlooking the battlefield. “Lord Akihiko, over here.” 

Akihiko rode towards the group like as if he had stepped right out of a fairy tale; every subtle movement he made was done with spellbinding grace and dignity unlike anything that could be found in the world. Not even Bankotsu could hide his sudden fascination with this man. His silver dragon scale armor glimmered along the fading sunset as he brought his horse to a halt. He took his black striped iron mask off and stared down at Bankotsu through golden eyes. 

“Are you the leader of the seven-man army?”

“Yes.” Whatever words Bankotsu had chosen to offer a verbal whiplash were forgotten.

Akihiko bowed his head and dismounted. “I’ve heard many tales about your exploits from the three eyed crows. You should feel proud of the feats that you and your men were able to accomplish with your limited resources at your disposal; it is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.”

Normally, Bankotsu would have wanted to sock men who presented themselves as Akihiko did… yet, anytime he tried to work up the energy to say something he only found himself more humbled by the man’s regal aura. 

“Big Brother, are you okay?” Renkotsu asked as he placed a hand on Bankotsu’s shoulder. “I apologize, sir, I think he’s fatigued.”

With a gentle smile, Akihiko looked over Bankotsu’s weapon. “While your weapon is impressive, it desperately needs the attention of a blacksmith. I have one at my base of operations, if you wish to use it. I will cover the cost, if you wish it.”

Bankotsu snapped out of his daze and finally made eye contact with Akihiko. “There are strings attached, aren’t there?” 

“Yes, I wish to hire you and your men. As such, you will be free to come and go at our base as you please.”

The army started leaving as Bankotsu tried to process the fact that they had just been hired once more. “Should we spend the night at their base?” Suikotsu asked after he was sure that the army was out of earshot.

“How else are we going to find out what the job entails?” Bankotsu said before following the army back to their base. 

\--------

The camp was as lively as any untouched market in the evening. It was surreal to him that Akihiko even invited them to come and go as they pleased. ‘Tch, I don’t trust him one bit. Most Daimyo would just tell me what to do and where to go by now, not invite them to hang out with their merry little army.’

Bankotsu caught sight of Akihiko sitting by a campfire along with his own soldiers as women poured them their drinks. Laughter erupted among the men as they took turns telling their stories. Akihiko stood from his seat and motioned his hand in Bankotsu’s direction.

“Come join us.” Much to his dismay, he had only come over because he couldn’t refuse the free beverages. He hadn’t felt as out of place as he did in that moment. 

It seemed as if Akihiko picked up on Bankotsu’s isolation, he spoke up. “You are in good company, most of the soldiers here are either sell swords or ronin who have a shared goal.”

“And what is that?” Bankotsu tried to feign interest in the conversation as he looked around for his companions. 

Akihiko leaned back against a tree before taking another sip. “Of ending Hanzo’s oppression of the people in the north.”

“Sounds noble.” No amount of alcohol was helping to dull his annoyance with Akihiko. “Why do you want to hire us? You seem a little too good to be hiring lowlife sell swords.” He asked, having no interest in hearing any sort of heroic speech from Akihiko.

Akihiko chuckled. “Because you will ensure that the mountain of corpses which I stand on will not grow as rapidly to fulfill my quest. Your men are said to be capable of doing the work of one hundred… that is one hundred less soldiers I must sacrifice to save my Lady Sayaka.”

He stopped drinking and glanced over at Akihiko. “It boils back down to her.” Now he started to resent Akihiko yet chose not to say anything about it. He couldn’t fathom going this far for a single woman; especially hiring mercenaries when he would have other valuable resources at his disposal. 

“Did she give you the hairpin?”

The lights started clicking for the mercenary, silently cursing himself for handing the pin over to Jakotsu. “Yes.”

“That is the down payment, do as you please” Akihiko sat next to Bankotsu and leaned forward as the soldiers resigned from their drinking for the evening. 

Bankotsu listened to the cackles of the flames as he rested his cheek against his hand. ‘What is with this guy, treating me like as if I’m part of his army? Tch, whatever I’ll just put up with it for now.’ 

Akihiko suddenly broke the silence. “So, ‘barbarian skill’… that’s an interesting name.” Bankotsu perked up and glanced at Akihiko. “When most warriors choose a name after reaching manhood, it is one which will hold the most significance to them for it is the name they bring to the grave with them.”

“What of it?” Now Bankotsu was starting to get more irritated. ‘Don’t talk to me as if you’re a friend of mine.’ 

Akihiko picked up a small branch and tossed it into the shrinking embers, watching as the flames consumed it. “Your name… while it could be read as ‘skill’, it can also be read as ‘bone’.”

Not wishing to disclose his own life story, Bankotsu scoffed. “To be honest, I never read that deep into it.” He just then caught himself before he’d feel compelled to go into more about himself. “Whatever. Just tell me when you’re ready for us to kill Hanzo or something.” If there was anything Bankotsu refused to do, even around his comrades, was pouring his guts; it would only make him appear weak. 

Akihiko glanced over to the half empty barrel of sake sitting on a wooden platform and then back at Bankotsu. “Don’t you wish to stay for a little while longer? There is still plenty of sake to go around while the night is young.”

“I need sleep.” 

Akihiko put the lid on the barrel and went up to Bankotsu, whispering, “come see me before sunrise, so I can give you the first plan of action so to avoid the attention of any spies overhearing us.”

‘What kind of man doesn’t save his damsel when she’s clearly in distress? How pathetic.’ Bankotsu thought as he rejoined his group without saying as much as a word. ‘Damn that was close though. If I’m not careful, I could end up accidentally exposing my weakness to that gelding.’ 

Even when the camp was as quiet as it could be, he couldn’t sleep as his memories haunted him. Although scarce, he could distinctly remember that there was a girl his age living in the same fishing village that he did, one who was just as ostracized. Yet, her name was all but forgotten. 

“Hey Kenta, want to go into the deep forest and find a kirin? Maybe it’ll put a stop to all of this.”

“Sorry, but mom would get really sad if I leave.”

Afterwards, all he remembered were the mournful cries of the girl’s parents in the following week. And then after that, the plague struck.

Bankotsu had been grateful that his companions were asleep as he wiped the tear away. ‘Don’t you fucking dare cry.’ His thoughts shifted away from the memories, not wishing to confront them head on.


	8. The Kirin

Chapter 7

Two-foot soldiers stood close to the docks before the moon even fell that morning. Moonlight lit up the ocean, giving the soldiers a little bit more vision in the otherwise inky dark night as the gentle snowfall began. “Did you hear about what happened to Hanzo’s forces?” 

“Truth be told it’s spooky how efficient just seven of those mercenaries are. Could you imagine if they had an entire army and territory of their own? They’d take over the entire country in no time.”

The other smacked his companion over his head. “Great, now I won’t be able to sleep tonight. Last thing this country needs is more warlords taking authority over the common man.” 

A blood chilling scream from the distance put a swift end to their chatter. “What’s going on?!” Then there was silence. “Hey, why don’t you go check out the source of the scream while I guard the docks?”

“Ugh, you’re such a coward. Whatever.” He picked up the nearest torch and walked away. 

The lone soldier moved away from the docks, muttering to himself as he approached the woods. “Why do I always get paired up with that coward?” Darkness cloaked the edge of the forest, with almost nothing in sight. “It sounded like it came from over here…” 

Unable to see ahead of himself, the soldier tapped his foot against something soft yet firm. “Eh?” He lowered his torch only slightly. A pair of legs laid on the ground, without even so much as a twitch whenever the soldier tapped the leg with his foot. Moments later, he moved the light over to realize that the body from the torso above was bitten clean off.

“Hey, you need to see this!” The soldier shouted, only to freeze in place when the ground rumbled ever slightly. It was when the moonlight was shielded away, he looked up to see the horrific fate of the torso dangling from the mouth of a giant whose size rivalled the trees. Not wishing to fight the razor mouthed behemoth, he sprinted away from the horrific sight with the torch in hand. 

“We’ve got a dead man!” The soldier shouted as he approached the docks once more. Every breath he took stung as he got closer to the docks. 

Wheezing could be heard from the soldier’s partner. “Get up!” he shouted before he collapsed, as the world around him became engulfed by a thick smog. The more he breathed in, the worse the burning in his chest got. The soldier coughed and vomited as an ominous round figure dressed in all white approached him, chuckling like an over excited child.

“Hehe, it seems the poison works very fast. What do you think? I’m not called Mukotsu the poison master for nothing.” There was nothing the soldier could say or do in response, except watch helplessly as the world faded into black. “I see, so it is effective after all. Oh, the others are going to be very glad when they catch up.”

Kyokotsu emerged from the forest, growling as Mukotsu put the empty cannisters back into his bag. “I wouldn’t devour the bodies around here if I were you.” Mukotsu said as he closed his bag. 

“I’ve had my fill. Where is Hanzo so I can eat him?”

“We won’t be seeing him for quite some time. Why don’t you light up this flare to signal the others to catch up with us?”

\--------------------------

“Ugh, why do we have to wear these masks?” Suikotsu groaned as he looked over the taijiya gas mask, “they’re really restricting.”

Renkotsu glanced over towards Suikotsu. “If you wish to start puking your guts out from exposure to Mukotsu’s poison, be my guest. Otherwise, I highly suggest you put them on before we enter the village.”

Bankotsu put the gas mask on and crossed his arms and kept his azure eyes fixated on the starry sky. “Think of it as a safety net, just in case the poison is too strong. Kyokotsu and Mukotsu will be fine since they’ve got more immunity than we go.”

Jakotsu grumbled as he leaned against a tree. “Hurry up Mukotsu, I’m dying to get this over with.” As if his wishes were heard, the sky momentarily lit up with a red spark just as Jakotsu spoke. “Oh, hells yes!” 

“Alright, let’s go burn the trading dock to a crisp.” Bankotsu almost wished that Renkotsu could see his grin. They headed into the trading village without seeing an opponent in sight- it brought Bankotsu satisfaction whenever plans came to fruition as intended. It was times like this when he was grateful for handing the reins of authority over to Renkotsu; otherwise he’d have another drawn battle ahead.

“Make sure to take out the entirety of the trading docks and return to camp when you’re done. If you can get that done before the morning star reaches its peak, your salary will be doubled.”

‘I’ll make sure that Akihiko regrets putting us up for this challenge!’ Bankotsu thought as he charged into the village and swung his weapon at every standing structure he came across while his second in command started fires throughout the village with just a single breath of flame. 

‘That prissy general pisses me off to no end. if he were an enemy, I’d have no problem swinging that pretty head off his shoulders.’ He only stopped once the village silenced by death was lit up in its entirety. ‘Why the hell am I getting worked up over that guy? He’s just another daimyo, just like all the others.’

“Alright, let’s head back to camp. Akihiko is gonna be crying at how broke he’s going to be.” Bankotsu shouted as he walked away from their handiwork with pride. 

Just as the village was finally out of sight, the mercenaries were already talking amongst themselves over the sheer efficiency of their work. Even Renkotsu found himself chuckling when he could hear the distant cries of enemy forces realizing that their trading posts were just destroyed. 

“Oh boy, Hanzo’s going to be real fucking pissed off. I can’t wait to hear him moan about it later.” Suikotsu said as he tried to hold back from bursting out into maniacal laughter. “I can only imagine the look on those soldiers faces from just seeing everything up in flames.”

Jakotsu paused to look at the burning trading dock now that it was nothing more than a mere glimmer of light in the distance. “All I know is that there isn’t a damned thing they can do about it now that it’s up in flames.”

“Maybe if we get back to camp on time, we’ll be able to get a little more sleep.” Bankotsu said with his weapon resting against his shoulder. 

Just as their early morning was going well, Akihiko stood just outside of the forest with his own forces who were dressed in their armor and were on their horses. 

“My, just when I think I have seen it all you always manage to outperform yourselves.” Akihiko tossed the bag of gold over to Bankotsu. “You are indeed worthy of every treasure I have.” 

Bankotsu barely caught the bag and rose a brow. “When did you get here?”

A three eyed crow landed on Akihiko’s arm and cawed. The young daimyo stroked the bird as he spoke to the mercenary leader. “A little while ago, a little birdie told me that you were already almost finished.” Akihiko’s horse nickered and pawed at the ground beneath him. 

‘Goddammit, this guy keeps pissing me off.’

“Thanks to you, now Hanzo’s army won’t have access to resources from other divisions.” Akihiko sat up straight. “Shall we move onwards and attack the next base? They will be in a vulnerable position now that they’ll be scrambling to find out who assaulted their trading docks.”

Bankotsu looked back at his fellow mercenaries. Without any opposition from them, he returned his glance over to Akihiko and nodded. Whether he liked it or not, it appeared as though Akihiko planned on riding into the next battle with them. 

\-----------------

Sayaka placed another warm damp cloth onto the old man’s forehead after closing the window. “Thank you, Sayaka. Seeing you everyday warms my heart in this miserable prison of my existence.” The man coughed and then looked up to Sayaka. “You are permitted to speak.”

At first, Sayaka would have been content spending her father’s final hours simply staring at the scroll on the wall. On the scroll was an image of a creature that was a blue scaled creature that had the head of a horse and the body of a deer with a long tail. Yet now, he granted her the opportunity to question her circumstances.

“All I wish to know before you pass on is this; why do you insist on keeping me locked away from the world, father? Surely it isn’t for marriage, otherwise you would have married me off long ago.” She stood up and moved towards the window, staring outside as the morning star rose. 

“Before I answer that, I ask why it is you insist on seeing the chaos that has our world in shambles? Just the sight of blood has you ill.”

“I cannot stand having information withheld from me, especially when it pertains to me being chained down here. Truth be told, there is no one I fear more than the one I call my brother. So, tell me, what is it that I am being condemned for? I will gladly live out my life here quietly if I know what crime it is that I must atone for.”

There was an agonising moment of silence before the man answered. “You’ve committed no such thing. It is I who should be punished for damning you to your entire existence. I assume you know the crime of our ancestor?”

Sayaka nodded. “That he killed a kirin and kept the corpse in that shrine over by the river?”

“Correct. He did so ten years before the endless wars broke out.” he sighed. “Kirins do not truly die, as they can resurrect themselves if need be. I spent much of my youth trying to research ways that I could resurrect the kirin and yet, through all my travels I found nothing of substance. I thought that if I could conquer all the land, eventually I could find the answer.”

Sayaka walked over to the scroll and studied the scales on it. “One day, I came across an elderly monk who had gave me the answer that I was looking for. He told me that if I wished to revive the kirin, I needed to perform a ritual which involved sacrificing a loved one. For me, the choice came down to either Hanzo or his mother…”

She almost did not wish to hear what he had to say next, but she continued to listen to the story. “When the flames of the sacrifice died down, the corpse was no longer there… all that remained was an infant unharmed by the flames. That infant was you.” 

“Do you think that I am the kirin reborn as a mortal girl?” Sayaka would have normally chuckled at the absurd conclusion, yet she had no energy for such a thing. A crow tapped on the window, cawing. 

“I have reason to believe that. The most viscous of Yokai become pacified as soon as they are within your presence, even though they have an animalistic tendency to feast on human flesh.” The old man coughed and continued, “no matter how much Hanzo torments you, you cannot seem to express any desire for vengeance against him… you only wish for your own freedom instead. Even if you’re not a kirin, being born from the flames of the corpse must have tainted you in some way.”

“Father, with all due respect you are wrong. A true kirin, even in mortal form, would bring good fortune to those who are in their presence. What good fortune have I brought you or Hanzo in my entire existence?” Sayaka headed towards the door and glared at her father. “I heard that your army was unsuccessful in killing those mercenaries off. If I were a kirin, that wouldn’t have happened now would it?”

Just as Sayaka left, her father muttered to himself. “It is true. You are nothing more than what remains of the kirin. A true kirin would never be lovestruck by any man who sheds the blood of others on a regular basis, and yet I watched you pine from a distance.” 

She quietly shut the door and made her way down the hallway while only staring at her feet. All her fathers did for her was strengthen her reserve to claw her way out of the castle, no matter the cost. 

Not a word was spoken as she walked past Hanzo, though she froze up once he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in close. “Dearest, did father give you the answers you were hoping for?” She tried yanking her wrist away from him. “I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be a lot slower from here on, as I have started a new job.


	9. Village of the Deformed Ones

Chapter 8

The snow already begun melting by the time most of the bases belonging to Hanzo and his allies were demolished. By the time the first patch of grass appeared, the trail of decimation following the band of seven had become twice as long. Even so, Akihiko continued to give them enough of a steady wage that they may as well have been the young Daimyo’s most reliable ally as other mercenaries came and went. 

“Before we can proceed any further, could you confirm the presence of deformed ones in the village of fog? It is over by the seas; it should be unoccupied.”

“Is there a reason for this, Akihiko?”

“Yes. Deformed ones are dangerous and will most likely cross paths with us before we reach the next base. I trust that you and your men will be able to eradicate them efficiently, if need be.”

Thick fog almost made it impossible for Bankotsu to be able to make out even the slightest silhouette of the deserted village he once called his home. The conversation played over and over. Out of all the villages he and his squad decimated throughout the two or so years of their formation, the thought of destroying his own birthplace almost made him uneasy. ‘I should have seen this coming. Why does it fill me with sorrow instead?’

“Hey, I think this is the place where we first met.” Jakotsu grabbed Bankotsu’s arm and pointed towards three boulders standing upright. “Yeah, it was right here. I remember how little you were back then!” Bankotsu could almost hear his friend squeal as he spoke. 

Much to the annoyance of the others, Jakotsu pranced over to the boulders and started kicking up snow. “Oh goodness, the monster’s skull is still here! Ooh how creepy.”

Bankotsu walked over to Jakotsu. He couldn’t bring himself to indulge in the nostalgia as he stared at the deformed skull. “You don’t remember what this place is, do you?” it was only then Jakotsu dropped his smile. “I don’t blame you for not remembering how I was the last one in my village standing, after that disease pretty much wiped everyone out. I’m still surprised to this day that I somehow didn’t get infected with how everyone kept coughing blood onto me during that dreadful summer.”

Suikotsu glanced over to Renkotsu, who stared in fascination and horror. Then the clawed warrior asked, “What symptoms did you witness?” At first, Bankotsu was worried that Suikotsu would regress back to his kinder personality until he realized there was no change in his demeanor. 

“It always started out as a really high fever… during this time, you were always either too hot or too cold whenever you were trying to rest. Nothing in between.” Bankotsu crossed his arms. “Then, a few days later you’d start coughing up blood and it only gets worse from there.”

Even with as bloodthirsty as Suikotsu was, the blades on his gloves clattered when he was no longer able to conceal his trembling. It surprised Bankotsu to see him reduced to fear. Did Suikotsu remember something from his doctor side? “How much worse?” Suikotsu asked. 

“The maddening head pains kick in; it drove some people in the village to get violent with others before they’d be driven out. If you didn’t die within a day or two after that outburst, your skin will start to become scaly as you start to become less human with each passing minute. Eventually, you become grotesque and go on a rampage as a monster of some sort. Only after that, do you fall over and die.” 

Jakotsu’s eyes widened as he shuddered. War was one thing; he could take comfort in knowing that the carnage was caused by other people who could be ended. Yet, he couldn’t stomach anything caused by other forces. 

“How did you survive?” It baffled Jakotsu to see that Suikotsu was suddenly interested in knowing more; until he remembered that the clawed man is sometimes a doctor. 

“Not sure. I guess I was too strong to get infected.” 

Renkotsu looked over the skull once more. “Big brother, I think I have heard of this curse. There didn’t happen to be a sacred beast killed in this place.”

Bankotsu shrugged and ran his hand over the boulder splattered in frozen blood. “I heard a tale about a hunter once accidentally killing a kirin because he thought it was an exotic stag. I think it happened before the Daimyo kept waging wars against each other.” He paused, “if I recall correctly, killing a kirin is among the worst crime you can commit against the heavens. It’s so severe that not only would you be cursed, so will your children. Or something like that.”

“I see. So then, this place is what I think it is.” Renkotsu pulled the cork off the bottle he carried with him. “There will be deformed ones lurking in the fog. Let’s stay close.”

“Gesh, I’ll blow them all up.” Ginkotsu chuckled as he walked on with the mercenaries. Despite being inches away from each other, the closer they got to the village the less they could see around them. 

Jakotsu unsheathed his blade and moved with caution; until this point, most of his foes were humans. After listening to Bankotsu’s story, he started to feel uneasy. With the sound of blade brushing up against each other, Jakotsu jumped and turned around with his blade drawn defensively. 

He then realized that it was only Suikotsu giving his claws one last sharpening session with a stone. “Ahh, you scared me Suikotsu!” Jakotsu leaned into Suikotsu’s chest, sighing heavily. 

“Stop touching me!”

Jakotsu waltzed away from Suikotsu as he regained his composure. “You totally spooked me on purpose, so therefore you brought it upon yourself.” He grinned as Suikotsu furrowed his brow.

Flustered yet irritated, Suikotsu shouted, “I’m going to shove my claws up your ass if you keep this shit up.”

“Maybe later, let’s deal with these beasts first.” Jakotsu laughed. 

Bankotsu rolled his eyes, only to flinch as he heard the splashes of muddy puddles nearby. “Shh.” Bankotsu raised his hand up, signalling the others to stop. It didn’t sound like any gait belonging to anything remotely human. 

A warm breeze brushed past the group in small bursts, before Bankotsu realized that there was something breathing down their necks. He whispered over to Renkotsu, “direct your flames to our right.”

Renkotsu nodded, already catching on to whatever Bankotsu knew. In a swift movement, Renkotsu held the bottle to his mouth before he spat a wave of flames away from the group. The fog appeared to dissipate for a moment as it was revealed they were surrounded by a horde of skull faced monsters.

Deformed ones, as they were called, were covered head to toe in black scales. Some retained their basic facial structures yet were still as monstrous looking as Kyokotsu. “Well, this sucks!” Bankotsu said as he watched the burning monster collapse onto the ground. 

“What the fuck!?” Suikotsu shouted as he watched the flickering shadows of the monsters. 

The deformed spoke amongst themselves. “Fresh meat… they’ve come here as sacrifices…”

Bankotsu stood his ground as he watched them from where they stood. ‘If I recall correctly, they’re only immortal until you chop their heads off…’ he looked over to the rest of his group. “Listen up, whoever can chop off the most heads will have the next round of drinks on me.”

A deafening shot from Ginkotsu’s canon fired off, obliterating one monster from where it stood. “Gesh, I will keep that in mind.”

Jakotsu swung his stream of blades into the fog. “You can drink?”

Ginkotsu chuckled as he fired off his saws. “Ehehe, you’d be surprised.” 

Red slush surrounded the village within no time, as Bankotsu slashed the legs off the monsters without hesitation. A sharp pain jolt on his left leg as a smaller deformed creature was gnawing on his calf. “Fuck off!” he shouted as he kicked it away before impaling its torso against a tree with his weapon. 

Just when he pulled his weapon away, he watched as the black scales crumbled off to reveal a pale, sickly looking child underneath, “Mommy… where are you?” the child said as he fell to the ground after violently coughing up blood.

All Bankotsu could think about was wondering how deep the bite was in his calf. ‘I’ll have to walk it off.’ In no time, the pockets of trees that surrounded the village were up in flames while Bankotsu realized that he had been separated from his group.

After cutting down two more monsters, Bankotsu moved further into the village as it got quieter. It was once Suikotsu found him did the two-start searching for the other five members. “These bastards are annoying to kill.” Suikotsu grumbled as he looked over his blood-stained claws. 

“Imagine trying to fight them when you’re a small child.” Bankotsu replied. “When they’re in a group, they’re a huge pain in the ass.” 

Suikotsu smirked and shook his head. “You got that right. I hope to kill them all before sundown.”

As more of them fell, the fog started to die down. Just enough that Bankotsu could make out the faint outlines of each hut and knew he was close enough to hear the soft waves brushing against the beach. 

“Kenta, over here!” A small voice chimed. Bankotsu flinched upon hearing his childhood name being called out. Although his discarded it when he joined Ryutaro’s group, he still felt compelled to at least react to the name when spoken. 

A little girl dressed in a worn out dark blue yukata ran up to him with a pained smile. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t find the kirin. I got lost and it was already nightfall.” The girl smiled. “It was really dark cold, so I took a nap.”

Memories of a tranquil summer flashed through Bankotsu’s mind; recalling how they always played along the shoreline. “Rei?” Bankotsu whispered and almost reached his hand out to her. Only now did he remember the name of the girl he once looked up to, who lived across from him. 

The color in her eyes were absent as her skin became bluish grey and blood leaking from her mouth and nose. “No one came for me that night, as I went to sleep for the final time.” A dark figure appeared behind her. “Kenta, why are you killing our friends?”

Upon seeing that the girl was a mere extension of the beast behind her, Bankotsu swung his zanbato. “Because they’re monsters.” He said as he watched the flesh puppet’s head fly off, forcing the beast to reveal its skull face. 

Suikotsu let out a battle cry as he leaped towards the beast and began to slash his claws with the viciousness of a starving wolf. Moments after Suikotsu’s violent outburst, a branch like protrusion from the beast emerged and smacked him away. 

“You son of a bitch!” Bankotsu shouted and swung the zanbato with all his strength. It screamed as its legs were cleaved off by his swing and collapsed. It dug into the ground with its scaly paws as it tried to crawl away from him.

An arm came flying off with another swing from Bankotsu. “How dare you.” Bankotsu said as he approached the writhing creature. “You used the face of an old friend of mine, eh? That’s pretty fucking low if you ask me.”

Suikotsu leaned against the tree he was thrown against, groaning in pain. His spiked hair now hung just over his hunched shoulders. Soon enough, Jakotsu rejoined him. “Hey, we got most of them it seems.” Jakotsu’s words were ignored, with all traces of the clawed killer having disappeared.

The beast looked over to make eye contact with the maniac standing above him, staring at its own reflection in the blade soon afterwards. “Why must you mortals continue to disrupt us Yokai who are merely surviving in this hellish landscape you created?”

Bankotsu impaled the beast with his blade, smiling as it let out an agonizing cry. “We mortals could ask you abominations the same question. How many of passerby have you killed just for the crime of wandering into your territory? Your kind cursed my village, even though we were just trying to make a living under a tyrant. We did nothing to you Yokai except live here.”

“It was a hunter from this village, seventy years ago, who killed a kirin in his mad pursuit for power. I know because I was there to witness it… he went by the name of Kagewaki. A prideful hunter who boasted about killing many of our kind, even the benevolent souls among us.” The creature dropped its head against the snow. “When you kill a kirin, you condemn the people who live anywhere close to where it falls.”

“I heard rumors of a girl who was birthed from its ashes during a sacrificial ceremony. The kirin must have somehow used its remains to protect the infant girl from the flames which would have killed her, lest she’d have burned away with her mother. If you can find her, then maybe she’d be able to save us all.”

Bankotsu pulled his blade out of the beast’s back before delivering the final decapitating blow. The head, still alive, looked over to Bankotsu as the other mercenaries regrouped with him. “That’s a nice thought, but I doubt it. She’s mortal, as you said- right? It’s unlikely she has the attitude of a kirin, much less whatever power it would possess.”

He slashed the head in half and looked back to see Jakotsu standing there. “Did you kill them all?”  
“Yes.” Jakotsu sighed, “Are you alright?”

Bankotsu nodded and rested his weapon against his shoulders once again. “Yeah, I will be. Just leave me be, I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit.”

Without any further exchanges, Bankotsu walked away from the group. 

As the fog died down that midday, Bankotsu walked through the empty village with only a somber face. ‘I got it done, huh? Why does my chest hurt from this, then?’ He stopped over by the furthest hut, where he recalled being able to smell the sea water every morning. The door was still in the same lopsided position since the day he barely evaded death at the hands of his own mother, who chased him all the way out to the forest.

He looked over inside and could see that the rusted yari blade he used to impale her through the chest with remained right where he left it. 

“Kenta… why? Why did you have to ruin my life?!”

The countless nightmares which reduced him into a fit of tears have long since passed, fading away whenever he keeps his mind busy. It was among one of the reasons he couldn’t stay in one place for very long. 

He went into another one of the familiar huts, pleasantly surprised that the contents inside were mostly intact aside from a huge hole in the wall.

A lone white Temari covered with bright painted flowers stood in the middle of the floor. He picked up the ball and was pleasantly surprised he could still find the small hand print he made on it with green paint that he accidentally smeared onto it as a child. ‘Sorry, Rei. I couldn’t find the kirin either. But even if I could, it sure wouldn’t want to get involved in our petty mortal conflicts. Not even a kirin can bring us paradise if there are two people who want to kill each other. If it could, we’d have no warlords or daimyo walking the earth.’

He set the ball back down and left the hut, sighing. ‘Coming to think of it, a kirin would punish my wicked heart if the stories are true.’ He lifted his zanbato and rested it against his shoulder before looking up to see Renkotsu standing there.

“We’re not leaving with you.” Renkotsu said, bowing his head. “If you need a moment, just tell me and we’ll wait.”

“It’s fine. I just wanted to see if the old place was the same as I left it years ago.” Bankotsu smiled. “On the bright side, we’ll have mostly human enemies to worry about as we move further along- right?” 

All Renkotsu could do was nod in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, I’ve been listening to “Waiting so Long” by Silver Fins as I write this story and it weirdly fits the mood.


	10. Clash of Iron

The silver armored army stood over a cliff, looking down at what would become their destination to General Hanzo. Their flag, depicting a red dragon, flew in the wind as they looked over the sheer size of Hanzo’s castle. 

“Man, that’d be a great base of operations wouldn’t it?” One soldier asked Bankotsu, who was staring at it without interest.

“Yeah, I guess so.” He hadn’t been terribly interested in interacting with the soldiers but tried to at least be friendly enough. After this last mission, he was looking forward to leaving on good terms. He silently went to rejoin with the other members of his company, only to arch a brow when he saw Akihiko and Mukotsu laughing amongst themselves. 

Akihiko smiled as he handed a bag of coins over to Mukotsu. “I’ve got to say, that these poison tipped arrows have served me well in tight situations.”

Mukotsu nodded and crossed his arms. “Nothing makes me prouder than knowing it serves you well. Ehehe, whenever I cannot just unleash waves of poison, they’re the next best thing for picking off stragglers.”

Akihiko glanced towards Bankotsu. “Ah, I’m glad to see you’re an early bird as well. I’ve sent two scouts out; we’ll then proceed with our assault as need be.”

Before Bankotsu could reply with his own strategy plans, he caught sight of Narusegawa and her abnormally large stallion climbing up the hill, kicking up snow as they moved. If she hadn’t kept her mouth covered, Bankotsu could swear she was sneering at him with contempt just from the glare of her bronze eyes. 

“Narusegawa, are the scouts safe?” Akihiko said once the horse came to a sudden halt. Her blue armor and the blade of her ono were splattered with blood. 

She nodded. “I just finished saving their asses when they were caught.” Two riders caught up with her as she spoke. “I was also able to confirm that they have roughly two hundred units in total. Quite pathetic if you ask me.”

“I’m sure this will be a cakewalk, then.” Akihiko put his arrows away and looked over to Bankotsu. “Especially for you and you men.”

Narusegawa scoffed. “If things go smoothly, they shouldn’t be needed.” She kicked her horse’s sides and went to give commands to her own squadron. Even though they never interacted, Bankotsu had found himself already disliking the general in azure.

“Do not take it personally, she is a tough person to get along with.” Akihiko said as he approached his own and untied the reins. “If I fall, she will be the one to make sure you receive the last of the funds.”

“You talk as though your death will occur.” Bankotsu said as he watched Akihiko mount his horse. “Out of all the times I’ve worked alongside you, I don’t think I’ve heard you talk this way.”

Akihiko dropped his smile. “I cannot guarantee my survival this time, young mercenary, especially now that a formidable foe lurks within those walls up ahead. I’m certain you’ve heard of the things Hanzo is capable of.”

Bankotsu hadn’t thought too hard about the stories he’d hear in passing, but now they filled him with an unknown dread he couldn’t shake off. “Akihiko!” He called as Akihiko started to trot away. 

Akihiko halted his horse and arched his brow in confusion. “Yes?” 

Bankotsu threw his pride away momentarily and bowed his head. “Thank you… it was an honor working with you.” He flinched at the words leaving his mouth. ‘What am I doing?’ 

“You are under no obligation to thank me; I should be thanking you for your great service to our division. We wouldn’t be here if not your men.” After nearly four years of struggling from battle to battle, it was rare for Bankotsu to receive this level of appreciation from any lord. Normally, there was an attitude of ‘take my money and go away’ from the lords… yet now, he didn’t know how to describe it.

“After this next battle, we will most likely be parting ways.” Akihiko tightened the reins on his horse and bowed his head. 

‘Wait, really?’

Mukotsu put his supplies back into his bag and looked up to his youthful leader before watching the other mercenaries regroup with them. “Hey, we’re ready when you are!” Jakotsu shouted, waving his arms around until he caught up with Bankotsu. 

Instead of responding to Jakotsu, he suddenly said to Akihiko, “does it have to be that way? We could continue to work with you on an even more regular basis if you will it.”

Akihiko put his helmet on and glanced down at Bankotsu once more, then reached his hand towards the young mercenary’s face before stroking his cheek. “I can see to it that I make you a lord, then you’ll never be able to part ways with me.”

“What?” The daimyo pulled his hand away and went to join with the rest of the cavalry. 

“How about I let you think it over? If you change your mind after we defeat Hanzo, I’ll keep true to my word.” With those words, Akihiko turned towards the gathering forces and shouted. “There will be eight watch towers ahead, keep your guard up and show them how we’ve made it this far.”

‘Why does Akihiko treating us as one of his own make me… happy? Not just that, even his own troops constantly want to include us in their exploits when they’re not taking shots for us. It doesn’t make sense. I’ve always made it a personal policy to never feel any loyalty towards lords who hire me, yet… I don’t know where to begin when trying to explain it.’

Jakotsu and Renkotsu stood beside their leader, watching Akihiko race down the hill on his grey horse. 

“That sounds like a good opportunity, big brother.” Renkotsu said as he watched the cavalry ride away alongside his leader. “Just imagine it, we’ll be living the high life while still conquering lands. We’ll also have our own army… and if we play our cards right, we’d be able to become the most powerful force.” 

Bankotsu sighed and started walking towards the battlefield. “I’ll think about it, but don’t expect any promises from me.”

It was as if Bankotsu was speaking of heresy when Jakotsu perked up and started hissing. “What?! But we’re mercenaries. Mercenaries! We are not going to be subservient to any dumb noble.”

“And we still will be mercenaries even if I accept the proposition, so calm down.” Bankotsu shook his head at Jakotsu’s overreaction. “Plus, I’m sure you’d love to be able to afford a lot of nice hairpins and jewelry if I accept it.”

Enthusiasm returned to Jakotsu. “You know, maybe it wouldn’t be half bad after all.”

“Alright, enough chit chat let’s go catch up with them and teach Hanzo why he shouldn’t make enemies out of us.” Bankotsu cracked his knuckles and grinned. “I’m not planning on showing that bastard any mercy for double crossing us a while ago.”

Just as they started making their way down the steep hill, Bankotsu looked over to his left. “Hey Mukotsu, mind releasing one of your special waves of poison over to the east? That’s where the longbowmen are.”

Mukotsu nodded and diverged from the group. “See you later then.”

Without giving him a single command, Kyokotsu charged towards the battlefield and immediately picked up the first enemy samurai he could find. Bankotsu avoided watching Kyokotsu’s gruesome decapitated method and instead turned his attention to Suikotsu.

“Watch my back for a bit, it’s crowded over there.” Suikotsu smirked started jogging alongside Bankotsu. “Jakotsu, you too!”

Jakotsu squealed. “Aw yes, I’ve been waiting for this moment!” 

Renkotsu nodded at Bankotsu; neither needed to say a word to each other. He had enough confidence in Renkotsu to know that the pyrotechnic had already created a sensible enough strategy to effectively get through the sea of carnage before them.

It wasn’t long before one samurai on horseback was bold enough to charge at Bankotsu, with his yari drawn. Bankotsu noticed just in time to step aside and then charged, and noticed the panicked rider immediately trying to change course as his panicked horse reared. In one fell swoop, the rider’s torso and the horse’s head were cleaved off.

Akihiko stood at a distance with his bow, slowly picking off troublesome grunts that were becoming the bane of everyone’s existence. There was no time to take pride in his perfect aim, for another cavalry bowman was bold enough to try to challenge Akihiko. 

‘Shit, I can’t let them kill Akihiko on my watch!’ Bankotsu thought the moment he saw the horse archer take aim at Akihiko and impaled the rider in a swift motion before giving them the chance to aim. 

Akihiko shouted out to Bankotsu while waving his hand. “I am forever in your debt.”

“Yeah, yeah just don’t get yourself killed!”

The gate doors opened with a roar. Hanzo rode out into the blood-soaked battlefield, with black dragon scale armor on a blood bay horse. In his right hand was a weapon Bankotsu had never seen- an Otsuchi that was twice the size of any war hammer. Its metallic sheen only added to the thrill of the battle for Bankotsu. ‘Oh ho, I’m so ready for a new challenge.’ 

His excitement was short lived however, as Hanzo’s reinforcements got in Bankotsu’s way. It was Akihiko who ended up pursuing Hanzo, taking aim at the other rider before pursuing him into the nearest forest.

In a single swoop, Bankotsu sent a man’s torso flying. “That’s for getting in my way.” Bankotsu shouted as he scanned the area for any sign of Hanzo. ‘That bastard is going to pay.’ He thought as he took out all the soldiers who’d charge at him.

A choir of canon fire and flames clouded the field for what seemed like an eternity. Dreariness engulfed the standing soldiers who were too crippled to continue the battle. Not even Bankotsu was immune to fatigue once it started to catch up with him as he began to wonder when it was the last time he had ever lie down to rest. 

It was a massacre as far as he was concerned. He was almost bored as the battle cries started to die down, with the remainder of Hanzo’s forces either resigning themselves to their inevitable deaths or begging for mercy. 

Renkotsu approached Bankotsu out from the cloud of smoke. “Shall I tell Ginkotsu to demolish the wall?” He asked with a smile.

Bankotsu had almost been prepared to answer until he had seen something peculiar.

A lone light grey horse without a rider galloped from the thick confines of the forest, snorting with his ears pinned back. Bankotsu’s heart sunk as he grabbed the frantic stallion’s reins the first chance he got. The stallion reared at first, staring down at the mercenary before finally calming down enough that he could be led. He recognised the flashy tack anywhere.

“Gesh, isn’t that Akihiko’s horse over there?” Ginkotsu pointed towards the pocket forest.

He attached his sheathed weapon to an obi he snatched off a nearby corpse and wrapped it over his chest before getting on the unruly stallion. ‘Hanzo must have just knocked Akihiko off his horse.’ He thought as the stallion raced back into the forest. 

The battle cries were all but silent to Bankotsu as he got further into the forest. Light flickered as the horse slowed into a trot under the black pine canopy, snorting as a gust of wind started to pick up in the ominous silence.

A silver light shimmered with the sunlight, guiding Bankotsu towards somewhere within the semi darkness. Optimism melted into shock as Bankotsu came across a trail of broken pieces of white armor, as well as the torn flag of Akihiko’s clan.

Crows cawed. Not heeding to their warning, Bankotsu drew his weapon and approached the miserable corpse in the wintry grave before him. The stallion snorted and made a futile attempt to back away. 

Akihiko laid motionless in the snow, with his helmet and chest armor shattered. As soon as Bankotsu noticed the puddle of blood beneath Akihiko’s head, he took note of the pieces of bone from his skull. ‘I could’ve sworn he was armed with those arrows he purchased from Mukotsu…’

An arrow then grazed Bankotsu’s cheek before it stabbed the nearest tree. He turned around to see an old face he’d almost hoped that he would never encounter. The horses nickered as Bankotsu eyed up his enemy’s weapon; a metallic Otsuchi. 

Hanzo glared at the mercenary through his iron mask. “What’s wrong, lowlife sell sword?” His tone shifted from contempt to amusement. “It’s funny, I was beginning to wonder why Akihiko’s army was being a thorn in my side… but now I know the answer. All of this, for Sayaka’s hand in marriage? What a pathetic legacy.” 

“I sure hope you didn’t forget how you double crossed us.” Bankotsu lifted his zanbato and pointed it at Hanzo. “You better have a god to pray to who will grant you luck; because I’ll kick your ass!” 

Hanzo positioned his weapon towards Bankotsu’s direction. “Let’s see if the rumours about you are true. Let us dance.” He kicked his horse’s side, prompting it into a rear before charging towards Bankotsu despite the narrow terrain.

Bankotsu initially eyed up Hanzo’s weapon. ‘If I can just chop his arm off, then I’ll be able to finish it quickly…’ Slowly, the world around him was becoming all but a strange blur to him. Before he realized it, Hanzo was already far too close before the mercenary had a chance to react in time.

A sharp, yet dull, pain jolted through Bankotsu’s left shoulder after Hanzo’s first swing. “Pay attention!” Hanzo growled, as he backed away. “You’ll make it too easy for me.”

“Shut up!” 

Even in his sudden state, Bankotsu was able to shield himself from any further impact of Hanzo’s weapon with Banryu. ‘Damn it, he’s too fast!’ He had almost lost his balance from the force of Hanzo’s Otsuchi.

Bankotsu’s stallion kept trying to head back to the open space. The forest had been far too narrow for Bankotsu to swing Banryu; otherwise, he figured it would have ended much sooner. 

A single crack from Banryu flew Bankotsu into a sudden panic- he couldn’t remember the last time he had taken the zanbato to a blacksmith for repairs. Normally, he was always on top of such things- until right before Hanzo hired him the first time. 

“What’s wrong, Bankotsu- having difficulty fighting outside of your comfort zone?” Bankotsu gritted his teeth. Hanzo backed away momentarily, as if admiring the state, he had reduced Bankotsu to. 

It was as if an Oni stood before Bankotsu, ready to tear his limbs off any given moment should he falter. Bankotsu kept his focus on Hanzo, his vision stilled blurred. “I wonder how much poison Mukotsu used for the arrowheads.” He finally muttered. “Evidently, not strong enough to knock me down.”

“Why don’t you surrender? You’re fighting me for no reason at this point; Akihiko at least had a reason to come here.” 

Amid Hanzo’s jabs, Bankotsu swung at the nearest tree he could find and held the horse’s mane for his dear life with one hand. Both horses sprinted out back into the open battlefield as the tree fell over.

“This is much better.”

It was almost as if time stopped as they brought their battle back into the battlefield, as the wounded soldiers stopped upon hearing the clash of iron. For once, Bankotsu had decided to stay on the horse as it was the only thing keeping him toe to toe with Hanzo’s war hammer. 

Hanzo’s horse reared as he rose his hammer and swung with full force. The only thing shielding Bankotsu and the steed was the zanbato. Clash of iron rung through the battlefield, followed by a crack. Another swing of the hammer was powerful enough to force Bankotsu off the horse as he shielded himself from the impact. 

The spooked stallion cantered away in a panic as Bankotsu sat up from the snow’s cold embrace around his body. “It’s a shame you chose being a mercenary as you preferred line of work; I would have gladly made you a lord and more if you swore your loyalty to me. Perhaps, I would have even given you a domain of your own.” Hanzo said as he and his horse approached Bankotsu.

Silence befell the battlefield, as Bankotsu used his zanbato to regain his balance while he stood up once more. It was now he could see the nicks and dents that the hammer inflicted onto his weapon. He looked down to his chest and only then realized the extent of damage also done to his armor, with his shoulder pad being covered in cracks and on the verge of shattering if hit once more. He was lucky that his shoulder was shielded, otherwise he would most likely have been dead sooner. 

Bankotsu took a brief look around, trying to find his comrades; he prayed that they couldn’t see him like this. He wiped his mouth of the blood which spewed from his lungs and looked back up to Hanzo’s horse towering over him. 

“Money cannot be the only reason you have chosen to make a foe out of me. Is it because of your suicidal love for battle; one which will no doubt become the source of your downfall in the future? Or is there something else? No matter.” Hanzo tightened his grip on the handle of his hammer as he rose it in the air. “Be sure to greet Akihiko in hell for me.”

With the remainder of his strength, Bankotsu lifted his zanbato from the icy snow and swung. Just as Hanzo was ready to slam the hammer, his arm had come flying once it was cleaved by the damaged zanbato. The bay mare neighed and reared after being splattered by the river of blood, knocking Hanzo off her back as she galloped towards the base. 

“Who is going to be greeting Akihiko now?” Bankotsu said with a wolfish grin as he watched Hanzo rolling in the snow, dying it red while crying out. “You know, I should kill you but… I think it’d be better to let you live with the humiliation for the rest of your life. An experienced warlord like yourself losing to some amateur like me. That’s a fate worse than death.”

Hanzo looked up and glared at Bankotsu. “You bastard.” 

“What else can you do now, but watch helplessly your main base get seized? You’ll have nothing once we’re through.” Bankotsu rested his weapon against his shoulder and smirked as he rejoined with the remaining forces. “I wonder… how agonizing would it be if I were to just ride off with that sister of yours?”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Luckily, Ginkotsu had been the first one Bankotsu found. “Hey Ginkotsu, mind blowing a huge hole in that nice wall over there? We can seize it now.”

A spark of joy twinkled in Ginkotsu’s eye as he was given the command he had been waiting for. “Gesh, I was about to go and do that.” If he could, Ginkotsu would be jumping up and down with glee the closer he got to the stone wall. 

Unbeknownst to Bankotsu, the remainder of Akihiko’s forces had started to look over to him for their next command; until the youngest of the troops approached him. “Sir, would you like us to help with seizing it? There might still be soldiers in there yet.”

Bankotsu paused before he answered. “Sure, just make sure you don’t kill Sayaka; she is Akihiko’s fiancé.” He still hadn’t mustered the heart to tell them of Akihiko’s fate quite yet; he hoped to wait until it quieted down to do so. Perhaps, they’d be willing to listen to Sayaka at the very least with Akihiko absent. 

It didn’t take long for Renkotsu and Jakotsu to catch up. “Are you sure we’re ready to proceed forward?”

Bankotsu nodded. “Hanzo’s down and his army has been mostly killed off. We’ll still outnumber them.” Pride overtook him as he got over the steep hills. Upon looking at the rotten impaled corpses, he realized he that the forces he was aligned with had been able to accomplish a feat that none other could with greater numbers.

Renkotsu then asked, “is it a good idea to let Hanzo live?”

“I want to see the look on that bastard’s face when I take off with his little sister. The devastation will be worse than death for him.”


	11. Memories

Chapter 10

\-------------------------------------

In the desolate icy field, Renkotsu shivered as the frigid winds picked up. For once, he smiled as soon as he was able to spot Jakotsu and Suikotsu, looting from the corpses of Hanzo’s men with glee. 

Jakotsu frowned and ran a finger through his loose shoulder length black hair. “Can you believe that some jerk managed to shoot my hairpin clean off? It was my favourite one.”

“Then don’t wear your favourite one into battle!” Suikotsu replied as he rummaged through the mangled corpse’s armor. “Now get back to looting, we’ll need to make enough of a killing so we can relax for a bit. I could use a month off or three.”

Renkotsu cleared his throat, interrupting their banter. “Has anyone seen Bankotsu around?” 

Suikotsu shook his head as he looked over the blood splattered yari. “Not since he knocked down Hanzo.”

It was then Jakotsu perked up after studying the features of a fallen soldier and joined the conversation, recounting what he had witnessed earlier that day. “Oh, Renkotsu you should have seen it; that look on Hanzo’s face when he lost his arm was priceless. Tch, serves that bastard right for his trespass against us.”

A scowl crossed Renkotsu’s face. “Unfortunately, I was preoccupied with helping Mukotsu sabotage the reinforcements. It seems to have paid off.”

“Well, why don’t you start looting in the meantime? Suikotsu and I have been doing it since Hanzo’s men surrendered.” 

Renkotsu rolled his eyes and shook his head before reluctantly joining them. From the corner of his eye, he caught the judgemental glare of General Narusegawa right before she rode towards the fortress with Akihiko’s forces. 

‘Look at how far I’ve fallen since leaving the brotherhood; now I’m taking offense to silly things like this.’ Renkotsu went back to rummaging as he got lost in deep thought. ‘Now is not the time for regret. Being a mercenary has allowed for me to operate within a group and as an individual… which is what I’ve always strove for. Yet, why do I allow myself to be bothered by this sudden stigma?’

‘That’s right… it’s because my hatred of the samurai rule still burns within me. If I remember that horrible fire that destroyed my temple, I will never forgive them for their trespass against me. General Narusegawa is no different than the rest.’

Renkotsu’s knees started to become numb from the snow as he continued to look. ‘It was why I joined Bankotsu in his travels in the first place… our mutual hatred of the samurai order. I need to find him!’

He stood up from the snow and started asking injured soldiers from Akihiko’s forces for any clues towards Bankotsu’s whereabouts. 

With too many varied accounts, for the first time in years, Renkotsu had started to lose faith in any of this going in his favor. That was until, he found another familiar face amid the icy graveyard. 

“Gersh, Renkotsu… I know where Big Brother is. I just finished helping him destroy the wall leading into the fortress.” Never in his life had Renkotsu thought he’d ever be as overjoyed as he was to not only see Ginkotsu, but to also hear that his leader was still alive. 

“Excellent.” Even as second in command, Renkotsu still had to maintain a sense of composure around subordinates; no matter how tempting it was for him to gush over Ginkotsu’s arrival. 

Renkotsu realized then that he allowed himself to be at ease too soon as he saw sunlight bounce off an impaled blade in the ground. “Hm? That’s his zanbato… why would he leave it laying around like this?”

His question was soon answered as soon as he caught the sight of Bankotsu with Sayaka on an obsidian horse in the distance.

\-----------------------------------

There was no emotion on Sayaka’s face as she held on to the horse’s reins, with Bankotsu’s arms wrapped around her waist. Banryu was nowhere to be seen. Sayaka’s black mare trampled over the corpses, while she made no effort to even make eye contact with Hanzo as her face grew paler by the minute. 

The sight of mangled corpses made Sayaka nauseous, she tried to close her eyes and pictured herself riding alongside a riverbank on a warm spring day. 

“Where is Akihiko?” She finally asked when she was sure that they weren’t as many eyes on her and Bankotsu. 

“Do you really want to know?”

She didn’t like the tone of his voice, but still she queried. “Why yes, I assume that he hired you to help overthrow Hanzo.” She smiled. “That’s why Hanzo is without his swinging arm, right?”

“What was the last expression you saw on his face?” 

Sayaka paused. “He was smiling as he swore to make me his wife.”

“I think it’s best if you allow that to be the last face of his you see… it’s not a pretty sight, deep in those woods.” Bankotsu was barely hanging on as Sayaka started to tremble.

“That’s not how it’s supposed to be.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you? He’s waiting for me in there, isn’t he?” Sayaka hopped off the mare and dashed into the forest, hoping that Bankotsu’s insinuation was wrong. 

“Sayaka, wait!”

Sayaka could hardly hear the world around her as she ran through the woods. She stumbled as she moved up the hills, using the nearest tree for support. ‘Even if he’s disfigured, I’ll still love him for giving me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.’

A gust of wind guided her towards the shimmering armor south of where she stood, filling her with hope momentarily. Sayaka’s spark of hope was short lived as she approached Akihiko’s corpse.

“Didn’t I tell you that you didn’t want to know?” Bankotsu asked as he limped over to the grief-stricken woman now that the pain from his injury was catching up to him.

Sayaka suddenly turned around, her face completely drenched from the rivers of tears. “It’s your fault! It’s all your fault, if you didn’t interfere with Miyamoto back then… perhaps… Akihiko would still be alive right now.” Her eyes widened as she continued on, “he’d be right here! We’d be getting married… just like we were supposed to.” 

“Tch, how was I supposed to know that you weren’t a damsel in distress back then? Maybe if you spoke up back then, we wouldn’t be here!” Bankotsu leaned against a tree. “So, don’t you dare try to somehow pin this on me! I had thought that Akihiko would’ve been able to hold his ground against Hanzo better, hence I didn’t even intervene until I saw his horse running out the woods.”

Sayaka bit her lip and tried to look away to hide her remorse. 

Bankotsu clenched his teeth as he rubbed his forehead. “Fuck, my head hurts.” He groaned as he started coughing. “I didn’t think that Mukotsu’s poisonous arrowhead was this potent.” Sayaka approached the delirious mercenary after she wiped her tears, hoping that they would stop flowing. 

“Aw shit, the horse must’ve run away.” Bankotsu started coughing violently followed by heavy panting. “Hey Sayaka, since you know the area better than I do… do you mind at least showing me to the nearest doctor?”

She wiped away more tears and nodded silently. “I’ll get the horse back; just hang on for as long as you can.”

Bankotsu smirked. “Trust me, this isn’t the first time I’ve ever been exposed to Mukotsu’s poison and got sick.” He said as he could feel the creeping nausea and waited until Sayaka walked away before he allowed himself to hurl next to the nearest bush that he could make it to. He hated this part. Every time he had ever gotten exposed to a small bit of any of Mukotsu’s special mixes, he always got nauseous along with throbbing headaches- both of which were quickly cured from an antidote provided shortly after exposure.

Then Bankotsu’s eyes widened. It occurred to him that he had no idea where Mukotsu could have been at the moment- was the midget captured? Perhaps he stunned a woman with one of the gases to have his way with her? He cursed himself for not asking for an emergency antidote in the first place.

He staggered over to the tree where he was previously, clenching his stomach. The pain was excruciating enough to feel like something was gnawing him from the inside out. Death almost seemed kinder. ‘Damn, this is only from a little bit of exposure. I wonder how painful it is for anyone who gets in his path.’ For a moment, Bankotsu had almost felt sorry for every soldier unfortunate enough to have gotten in Mukotsu’s path. 

“I’m back!” Sayaka called out just as Bankotsu leaned back against the tree once more. “Just get on the horse and I’ll go look for a doctor.”

“Yeah, sure.” He said as Sayaka helped him up. 

He fought to keep his eyes open until he had his arms wrapped around the horse’s neck. Once he felt secure, he allowed himself to pass out. 

\------------------

Warmth was a welcoming change of pace for Bankotsu to wake up to as he stared at the wooden ceiling. Although his eyes still felt heavy, he was at least grateful that he hadn’t frozen to death. Three of his mercenary companions were kneeling next to him, smiling as he finally sat up. “Good to know I’m still alive.” He groaned as his head still throbbed. His long strands brushed against his bruised shoulder, which was when he began to wonder who had undone his braid.

“Sorry about that, big brother. The beautiful woman said you were poisoned by the graze of one of my arrows.” Mukotsu chuckled. “Take this medicine, it should help with the nausea.”

“Thanks.” He said through his groan. 

Mukotsu sighed. “I wish that I was the one being kept warm by that beautiful noblewoman. She seemed awfully worried that you would freeze to death.”

Bankotsu smirked. “She was keeping me warm, how?”

Jakotsu frowned and looked away with his arms crossed. “That wench shared body heat with you; even though that’s usually my job.” The cross dresser started pouting. “This is why I hate it whenever women get involved with all of us!”

Ignoring Jakotsu’s whining, Bankotsu reached for his folded clothing- and was pleasantly surprised to see how white the fabric was for the first time in a long time. “Well then, I guess I better thank her for keeping me alive this whole time. Where is she anyway?”

Only a fleeting moment of silence was enough to make Bankotsu nervous.

It was Renkotsu who broke the silence. “She told me that she was going to go ‘stare at the abyss’. I’m afraid I don’t know what she meant by it, but I assume she said she was going to.” his eyes widened. “Oh no…” Renkotsu didn’t need to say anything further; Bankotsu had already caught on to the euphemism. 

“And you didn’t try to stop her?!” Bankotsu grabbed his clothes. “Get out, all of you. I need to get dressed!” 

After getting dressed, he trudged through the newly thick blanket of snow started to make his way through the village only occupied by Akihiko’s forces. 

‘Sayaka, you better not be doing what I think you’re trying to do.’ 

\----------------------------------------

Sayaka stood by the edge of the cliff, staring into the deep abyss where she hoped that it would all end for her. Akihiko’s death marked the last shred of happiness being snatched from her. Her teeth chattered from the icy winds; she hoped that if she couldn’t work up the courage to jump into the abyss, then at least she’d be able to slip into an eternal slumber.

‘Close your eyes and you’ll drift off into sleep.’ The winds chimed to Sayaka as she sat down on the nearest boulder and wrapped her arms around her knees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early upload because I will be busy this weekend.
> 
> If you like it, don't forget to either comment or leave a kudos :)


	12. Kaneda

Chapter 11

Bankotsu winced as he breathed in the winter winds; it was almost as if everything inside him became instantly frozen. Luckily, he realized he wouldn’t have to endure the cold for very long once he had spoken to one of the soldiers who had spotted Sayaka earlier.

“Lady Sayaka went north from here, over by the abyss- its just past the woods. She’s been going there every morning for the past three days and then returns to help the doctor tend to you.” The soldier crossed his arms. “I cannot imagine what is going through her head to be drawn to that creepy place. You’d think she’d be more interested in the hot springs just south from here.”

“Thanks.” Was all Bankotsu could say before he made his way through the dead forest; it was barely shaded from the bright morning star that became nearly blinding whenever he’d glance past the snow. ‘If that crazy bitch jumps, then this will all be a huge waste of my precious time that could have been spent on other jobs. My Banryu would’ve gotten fucked up for nothing.’

It was a mercifully short trek, as he was able to see the imposing mountain which appeared to be standing on the other side of the cliff. At the cliff’s edge was Sayaka, alone and lost in her thoughts. 

He couldn’t lie to himself- he was oddly relieved to see that she hadn’t worked up the courage to jump off, yet he spoke to her as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. “I was wondering where you ran off to this time.” She flinched and looked over to him with a bewilderment as he spoke. “So, I heard there was a hot spring near this place and was wondering if you could show me where it was?” 

“It’s just south of the village, it’s hard to miss.” Sayaka’s reply was rather disappointing for Bankotsu; but more so because the distraction wasn’t working out.

Instead of doubling down, he went with the next best strategy. “What brings you out to this creepy place? I heard people come up here to commit suicide.” Sayaka stood there pensively, as if she had been caught committing a severe crime. “Do you know what lies beyond the darkness down there? It’s not pretty.” He had just remembered a tale his old master, Ryutaro, had told him years ago when they did tread by this cliff.

“I won’t care because I’ll be dead by the time, I reach it.”

Bankotsu shook his head and approached Sayaka. “That is what the Yokai beneath the darkness would like you to think. It will go great lengths to keep you alive after you fall, but you won’t be able to escape from it… do you know why?” She slowly shook her head as he got closer. “You see, the darkness down there is actually its body. No one knows what it looks like, but what you can see is at least part of its body.”

He put his hands on Sayaka’s shoulder; her trembling was all the validation he needed to continue the story. “The fall itself will break all of your bones, so you won’t be able to escape from the hundreds or maybe even thousands of Yokai who reside beneath the Abyss.” He pulled her in close to his chest while resting his chin against her shoulder. “A man would be eaten alive almost instantly… whereas a pretty girl like you would be forced to watch helplessly as they have their way with your body before you die. They’re wicked, so they will only be delighted to hear you scream.” 

Bankotsu had made up the second part, but it seemed to have been enough to make Sayaka recoil in fear. “Still want to jump now, knowing that agonizing fate awaits you if you do?”

“No…” she looked away. “But I don’t know where to go from here; it’s pointless to go on to enjoy my freedoms if Akihiko cannot be there by my side.”

“Think about it this way—if you were to jump, then all of his efforts would have been for nothing. The mountain of corpses that you stand on would amount to nothing, therefore a lot of deaths would be for no reason. Do you want to waste their lives so easily?” Bankotsu pulled away from Sayaka. “Look, I know I’m just some random mercenary but I’d rather you didn’t kill yourself… that’d be a waste. I’m sure Akihiko would say the same thing.”

“But—”

“Look, it’s something you’re never going to get over… you just need to learn to live with it is all. I’ve been doing just that for as long as I can remember.” He held his hand out to Sayaka. “You will have plenty of time to come to terms with his death, trust me.”

He felt at ease when she chose to follow him back to the village. Although there was silence between the two along the way, he could at least at ease around her now that she was at least trying to calm down from the last few days. Whatever annoyance he had towards her slowly melted away the closer they got back to the village. 

To Bankotsu’s surprise, Sayaka’s face lit up when she saw a band of soldiers being led by Narusegawa on horseback returning to the village. “Narusegawa! It’s you.” She rushed over to the general, with tears flowing out of her eyes.

Narusegawa stared at Bankotsu with far more contempt than one would have thought possible. “Lady Sayaka? Did that man do anything to you?” She asked. Bankotsu wished that he hadn’t been in a lot of pain from his shoulder, otherwise he would have decided to confront Narusegawa on her attitude. 

Sayaka shook her head and turned over to Bankotsu, casting him a gentle smile before resuming her conversation with Narusegawa. “No, he’s just out on a stroll with me. So, with Akihiko dead I’ve come to realize that I have nowhere to go now.” 

“Can you read and write?” Sayaka nodded in response. “Then you can be one of my court advisors when we return to the Western Province. It was written in Akihiko’s will for me to ensure your well being if he were to fall in battle; in exchange for me taking over his role as Daimyo.”

“But what exactly will my job entail?”

“We’ll discuss it once we get there.” Narusegawa dismounted from her monstrous obsidian stallion and handed the reins over to a subordinate. “In the meantime, I’ll be handling the payments to those mercenaries once we return.”

Bankotsu furrowed his brow and said, “you better.” 

\----------------------------------------

In a province east of Hanzo’s base of operations, an older shogun dressed in yellow and green stood out by the balcony of his castle and stroked his grey beard before speaking to the four men behind him. “Hanzo has fallen? What a shame, I had high expectations of him to succeed in his post- even if his father was a decrepit Daimyo.” A Samurai-Daisho who covered his face with a menpo-men yorori while allowing his long black hair hang over his chest. 

The Samurai-Daisho bowed before him. “Yes Sir.” 

“To think he lost to some lowly mercenary no less, how embarrassing for his family line.” The shogun chuckled. “Wouldn’t you agree, Kaneda?”

“With all due respect, it was no ordinary mercenary who defeated Hanzo. According to the information I received from the other dark riders, it is none other than the leader of the band of--”

The shogun interrupted Kaneda, “Bankotsu? Yes, I’ve heard of him. Interesting, isn't it? The Dark Riders have informed me that Bankotsu once went by the name Kenta in his childhood. Even more interesting is that he grew up in the same fishing village you dropped him off at ”

“Yes.”

“Interesting, to think that tyrant’s grandson would grow up to become the little terror that he is today.” The shogun shot an icy glare towards Kaneda. 

Kaneda held back the urge to shout at the shogun before him, and instead tried to maintain a calm composure. “I couldn’t justify taking the life of an infant!”

The shogun walked over to Kaneda and delivered a hard slap across the face. The menpo-men fell off Kaneda's face; the tapping noise it made felt much louder than it really was. “I warned you that if you spared his life back then that it would come back to haunt you, did I not? He more than likely knows vengeance in his heart after learning of his grandfather’s legacy.”

Kaneda calmly picked up his mask and put it on before he allowed himself to become too tense. “It is highly unlikely he even knows that he’s aware of his own birthright; given that he was handed off to a random villager shortly after you murdered his mother in the burning castle.” Kaneda said as he had even more difficulty remaining collected. 

“Keep your eye on him! If his posse starts to become a major thorn in my side, then I will see to it that their heads will be rolling in no time.” 

Kaneda bowed his head once more and marched away from the castle, approaching the black mare who had been patiently waiting for him this whole time. He untied her reins from the post and started to ride away from the castle. ‘The fool really thinks I'd have killed my own son shortly after his birth. That bastard knows the truth about him, he's just pretending that he doesn't to toy with me. What is his ploy?’ He had barely been a man himself when he had pursued that ill-fated romance with Torakagawa’s daughter. Even after marrying his current wife, he still found himself pining for the blue-eyed vixen who he still owed his life to after she initially pleaded for his life after a siege had gone wrong.

Kaneda recalled his foolish short-sighted plan of assassinating Torakagawa so that the lovers could elope to some village… any village would do, as far as he was concerned back then. He longed to be as naïve as his eighteen-year-old self was the world seemed to be much easier to navigate back then. 

Yet it all came crashing down during the siege he desperately wanted to happen as soon as he had seen the newborn struggling for his first breath while his mother’s body had started to become cold. He distinctly remembered the servant’s horrified expression as she tried to explain what had happened in her frantic state. The next thing he knew, he was carrying the child out as relatives of Torakagawa were being executed just outside. 

No matter how many nights passed by, Kaneda held on to hope that the child, whom he had named Kenta at the last minute, would at least grow up with a quiet life in a desolate fishing village where he would be nobody. 

‘What kind of sick joke is this?’ Kaneda sighed heavily as he wondered what deities were taking pleasure in watching him writhe. ‘I could end up clashing blades with him on the battlefield one day… he will die not knowing who I am to him.’

He cursed himself for ever getting involved with that woman and for damning Kenta to struggle. 

\---------------------

When they returned to Akihiko’s territory, none had expected the locals to be welcoming to the battle worn warriors as they were. Word of Hanzo’s defeat at the hands of Bankotsu spread quicker than a forest fire; it was the kind of story that inspired commoners to carry on despite the constant land disputes just beyond the border of what was now Narusegawa’s territory. 

One adolescent boy had approached Bankotsu as the mercenaries passed through one of the border villages: not with fear, but admiration. “Sir, is it true that you defeated General Hanzo with that horse slayer?”

Bankotsu stopped in his path and looked at the child dead in the eye. “Yes.”

“I hope that more people in the village realize that it doesn’t take having a noble pedigree to overthrow tyrants.” The boy sighed. “But I don’t know what it would take for them to realize that.”

“I don’t have an answer for you. All I can say is that the strength I carry doesn’t come easily; ordinary people have no reason to push beyond their limits.” Without anything else to say, Bankotsu then went to go rejoin his group; he hadn’t wished to be the one to give the boy any false sense of hope knowing how mortal he himself was. 

Renkotsu smiled as his leader rejoined. “Wow, who’d have thought you’d earn admirers just for doing your job.”

“I don’t think I could ever get used to this kind of treatment.” Bankotsu admitted that he hadn’t appreciated the scornful looks he’d get from lovers that would get entangled in one of his many fleeting romances whenever he’d disclose his occupation. It was always the one dealbreaker that was the source of broken hearts or contempt from those he’d leave behind. 

Despite it all, Bankotsu was content to have his merry band of mercenaries being the closest thing to consistent companionship in his world. Without them, he would know the true meaning of loneliness.

“You know, I was thinking about how this all could impact our group.” Renkotsu trailed off, “I have a feeling we should at least try to stay on good terms with Narusegawa’s forces, now that she is promoted to Daimyo by a post-mortem Akihiko. Problem is, I don’t think she’s very fond of us.”

Bankotsu sighed. “You can say that again. Maybe I’d have to go through Sayaka to get any favours from that bitch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *So, do you remember that Samurai-General from episode 110; the guy in that mask riding on the black horse? I decided to not only give him a name, but a much bigger role in this story aside from being the guy who executes the Shichinintai


	13. The Trading Market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: If any references to sexual abuse disturbs you, I suggest you skip the first section of this chapter

Underneath a crimson sky, Bankotsu stood alone in a desolate field of nothing but corpses in various stages of decay. He looked upwards at the black sun and then at the looming shadow pillars. At a distance, there was a crowd of blue and red Oni staring him down with wicked smiles while he tried to suppress the ever-growing helplessness. ‘This place...’ He was almost lucid. 

Ahead of him was Banryu, impaled on a lone hill over decayed mound. He approached it with caution while constantly looking behind him; Bankotsu knew better than to trust an Oni to have any sense of honor. ‘Once I got this… I’ll cut down any fucker who approaches me.’

The zanbato remained still as he tried to pull it out, even when he was using all the strength he could muster. He looked behind him once more, now staring at a hill that hadn’t been there before and yet still under the black sun. 

‘Come on, get out of there!’

Suddenly, the blade snapped in half after Bankotsu yanked it much harder than he anticipated that he would. He watched in horror as the blade’s shards came crashing to the ground, while he held nothing but the handle in his hand.

Teeth surrounded the mound as the ground below him started to rumble, which was when he had realized that he was standing on the face of some sort of… monster. He grabbed on to its lower lip and started at its eyes that were located where the jawline would normally be, while its nose was on its forehead. 

Horrified, he let go of its lip and allowed himself to fall. He watched as the world around him darkened before he gracefully landed onto his feet and into a forest of nothing but dead trees standing in a white landscape.

‘What the hell is going on?’

He wandered through the forest for what seemed like an eternity, staring at the branches that were suspiciously shaped like hands. 

Bankotsu stopped when he reached the center of the forest, greeted by the head of his former leader impaled on a yari among the freshly slaughtered corpses of the other mercenaries. He desperately wanted to scream but was held back by the sudden shock of something grabbing his sleeves. 

He tried in vain to pull away, which was when he realized that he had dropped a bow; one that he had no idea that he was carrying. 

A gang of red Oni emerged from the darkness beyond the trees and chuckled amongst themselves. 

“Well, well, isn’t this kid quite a cutie? It’d be a waste to give him the same fate as Ryutaro.”

Bankotsu became enraged and struggled against the grasp of the branches. “Don’t fucking touch me!” It was only when he was suddenly pinned to the ground and saw the Oni approach, did he finally allowed himself to scream… 

\-----------------------

And he screamed until he was greeted by the spring morning’s light, underneath the thin sheets he had pulled up over himself the night before. He put a hand on his forehead in frustration once he realized he was in the comfort of reality. ‘Great, another nightmare. Every time things get a little quiet, the nightmares come back to haunt me.’ He was panting as his heart raced, trying his best to shift his thoughts away from the terrifying nightmare. Loose black strands crept over his chest as he looked around for his Banryu.

It was only when he saw his weapon laid against the wall, he started to calm down. ‘I’m strong enough now to fend off bandits… so why do their faces still haunt me every time things start to settle down?’ 

Almost four months passed since Hanzo was defeated and the Band of Seven were given Narusegawa’s old fortress to use as a base of operations- as part of their compensation. It was much more space than they ever needed, especially now that most jobs they were given consisted of defending the territory. Most invaders were rather low skilled- making each battle more bothersome than the last.

Bankotsu had also only kept taking on that type of work to save up funds for a blacksmith. He already knew that most would charge him above his normal payrate to work on the monstrous zanbato- it wasn’t exactly the easiest of blades to work with. 

He watched as Jakotsu slid open the door and peeked inside. “Are you okay, big brother? I heard you screaming.”

Bankotsu nodded as he put his kosode back on. “Yeah, it was just a nightmare.”

Jakotsu sat across from Bankotsu and tilted his head. “You get a lot of those, don’t you? Anytime I’ve shared body heat with you, I’m always woken up by you acting distressed in your sleep.” Bankotsu became silent. “Want to talk about it? I think it’ll make you feel better, at least.”

“No.” Bankotsu started to brush his fingers through his loose hair. There was no way he was about to talk to Jakotsu about what had happened after Ryutaro’s band of mercenaries were ambushed by the bandits. He hadn’t the faintest idea of where Jakotsu had disappeared off to after the slaughter. All Bankotsu knew was that he was yanked off his own horse by the largest of the bandits.

Jakotsu sighed. “I sometimes still see the image of Ryutaro’s head in my mind too, you know. That is, if you’re having nightmares about that dreadful night.”

Not wishing to continue the conversation, Bankotsu immediately changed the subject as soon as he couldn’t see either Renkotsu or Ginkotsu within any vicinity. “Where did Renkotsu and Ginkotsu go?”

“Off to the market, since those western barbarians arrived with their goods yesterday morning.” There was a tinge of annoyance in Jakotsu’s voice as he crossed his arms and looked out the window. 

“Okay Jakotsu, what’s wrong? I don’t like your tone of voice.”

Jakotsu slammed his fist against the ground with a mighty roar. “It’s that jerk Suikotsu! He turned back into a nice guy without telling me ahead of time. He promised me he would!”

“I don’t think he has control over that.”

“That’s no excuse for him being a jerk to me! Why does he have to break my heart like that… every, single time!”

Bankotsu started to tie his braid back up once he found something to hold it together. “Are you having a fling with him?!”

“What?! No, not at all.” Jakotsu used both of his hands to cover his face before he allowed himself to peek at Bankotsu. “I mean, even if we were, you’d get all jealous on me like you always do.”

“When has that ever happened?”

Jakotsu scoffed and looked away after crossing his arms once more. “That time I was seeing that samurai, for instance, you were all like ‘Jakotsu, he’s gonna backstab you’ and ‘he doesn’t love you’!”

A scowl crossed Bankotsu’s face as he got his hakama back on under the sheets. “I literally overheard him talking about killing you so that he could brag about offing one of us!”

“Sure, you did!”

“Whatever.” Bankotsu rolled his eyes and tied his obi around his waist after getting his armor on. “Well, since I’ll be going to the market, mind handing over the hairpin Sayaka gave me?”

Jakotsu blinked. “What hairpin?”

“The blue one. You know, the one she handed to me back when Hanzo was alive?”

“Ooh about that…”

Bankotsu furrowed his brow and then pressed his fingers against his temple. “You lost it.”

Jakotsu scooted away from his enraged leader. “Actually, some jerk of an archer shot it clean out of my hair. And then it broke. And then some asshole stomped on it until I slashed him in half!”

“You fucking lost it, then! Oh god, just when I thought about selling it for a fortune too… I would’ve had enough funds to repair my Banryu.” Bankotsu pointed to his dent covered weapon, silently mourning for his loss.

“Sorry?”

An idea suddenly crossed Bankotsu’s mind. “Got any Yukatas you don’t wear anymore? I know those sailors often will pay a high price for even just one.”

“Excuse you? Hell no!”

“I’m not going to that market empty handed.”

“Well that’s too damned bad, just sell your obi.”

Bankotsu stood up and stomped his foot. “Are you out of your fucking mind, Jakotsu?! I ain’t walking around exposing my bare ass to the world.” He was no stranger to nudity around Jakotsu, and yet he still blushed at the thought of his friend seeing such a thing. 

After giggling at the mental image, Jakotsu stood back up. “Fine, take the aqua one!” Jakotsu left the room, only returning with the folded-up yukata and handing it to Bankotsu.

After looking over the damage that Banryu had, Bankotsu decided against bringing it to the market with him. Worst comes to worst; he’d just fight with his fists. “I’ll be back later. Hopefully I’ll find Suikotsu for you, happy?”

Jakotsu laughed. “I’m going to kick his ass when I see him.”

The warm light was a welcome change for Bankotsu as he stepped outside of the fortress and rushed down the steps; smiling once he realized that the dirt path was dry. “Well, I guess I need the exercise anyway. At least it’s warm out.”

He then saw a trade cart pulled by two horses approaching him. “Hey, can you give me a lift? I’m off to the seaside market.” the mercenary shouted to the driver, who then let the beasts come to a sudden halt.

“Yeah, yeah kid so am I. Just get in the back with the young lady.”

Bankotsu was suddenly giddy over the idea of being on a wagon; he hadn’t hitched any rides since he was a small boy. As he climbed on to the wagon, he found himself fascinated with all the various silk folded and lined along the cart behind the other passenger. 

He almost didn’t recognize Sayaka as she was dressed in a blue kosode with a magenta mo-bakama. 

In a way, Bankotsu felt at ease that he was sharing the wagon with someone he was familiar with. “What’re you doing all the way out here, young lady?” He asked as the wagon started to move. 

Sayaka was fiddling her fingers nervously, as though she was caught in the middle of a crime. “I’m going to the market to look at hairpins!” she said as her face became crimson. 

“You too, huh?”

“You don’t seem like the type to wear one.”

“What?! No, I don’t wear them.” 

Sayaka laughed. “It’s okay, I was messing with you.”

Bankotsu was caught off guard a little by Sayaka’s teasing… actually, he had been caught off by seeing her in any positive mood. With his limited interactions with her, seeing a genuine smile from her was a surprise. “I’m actually trying to catch up with Renkotsu, since he left without waking me up. He promised that he would just as he was falling asleep.”

“Renkotsu? He’s the one with the cyan bandana, right?”

“Yes- have you seen him?”

“I think so… he had a trade cart with him that was pulled by two oxen, with Ginkotsu sitting in the back having the time of his life.”

Bankotsu let himself lay on his back and watched the passing clouds, with a smile as he tried to picture his companions heading off to the market. “That sounds about right. Renkotsu did build Ginkotsu, after all, so of course he’s giving him the royalty treatment during quiet times like this.” It was then he realized how little time he spent with any of his men outside of the wars that they were hired to fight in. 

Was he starting to take them for granted? Bankotsu hoped not. 

“Do you think he’d be able to spare a moment to let me speak with him? I want to know everything he does.” 

“Come again?”

Sayaka looked down to make eye contact with Bankotsu as she let her enthusiasm slip through her voice. “I want to know how Ginkotsu manages to be… well…. Ginkotsu! I’ve got so many questions, yet no answers.”

Bankotsu sat back up and raised a brow. “I’m sure you’re surrounded by smart people who can explain things to you.”

“I already tried that. You know what they said?”

“What did they say?”

Sayaka shook her head with disappointment. “They told me that they couldn’t even figure out how Ginkotsu works. Since Renkotsu was the one who built him, I figure that the next best thing is to ask the genius himself. It’d be a waste if no one ever recorded his achievements.”

“I should have known something was off about you the moment you were more interested in Ginkotsu than in me.”

“To tell you the truth… I usually have a hard time finding the courage to speak to strong guys like you.”

Bankotsu grinned. “Oh, so that’s how it is.” Sayaka’s face became as flustered as Bankotsu had hoped it out. it only gave him more satisfaction when she started to nervously play with her hair while looking away. 

“S-sorry. Akihiko was right, I am too shy around people I don’t know very well.”

“So, how have you been anyway? I was kind of worried that you’d have kept yourself cooped up while mourning.” He said, slightly annoyed that the subject of his former employer had been brought up. 

Sayaka forced herself to smile. “I had forgotten that it’s almost been four months since he passed already. To tell you the truth, just when I think I’m ‘over it’ I suddenly find tears streaming down my face. I know it sounds pathetic.” She put a hand on her chin and listened to the increasingly loud waves as they got closer to the market. “But, it’s like you said to me back then; grief is just something you learn to live with, right?”

She leaned against him. “Yet, I have to keep living or he would have died for nothing. That much is enough to give me a reason to keep on living, no matter how much sadness consumes me in the evening. At least I can look ahead, right?”

Bankotsu nodded as he allowed Sayaka to lean against his shoulder. “That’s all you can do, really. If I let myself sink in sadness, then I’d never make it as a mercenary.”

“It’s odd, out of all the people in my life right now you’re the only person I feel comfortable confiding in with this. I usually spend my days keeping myself distracted writing messages to warlords, to try to negotiate trade deals in order to keep the peace in our area. Or by writing… anything that comes to mind.” 

She then moved her head away. “Sorry to bother you like this with my thoughts, you came to the market to have a good time- did you not?”

“I’ve got one question for you.”

Sayaka nodded. “Go ahead and ask.”

“Does Narusegawa know you’re all the way out here?”

Sayaka bit her lip. “Yeah about that… I came here on my own without telling anyone. I just want to have an entire day of adventure.”

Bankotsu furrowed his brow. “If you’re expecting me to escort you back, it’ll cost you!”

“Alright, I’ll pay for whatever you ask for.” She giggled. “By the way, where is your weapon anyway?”

“It’s still damaged and I don’t have enough funds to convince any blacksmith to work on it.” He groaned. “So that’s why I’m coming to the market to sell this yukata off.” 

The cart came to a halt. Sayaka gathered her things and rushed into the lively market, where Bankotsu could hear the cries of joy and frustration from the merchants that drowned out the ocean’s waves that would normally be heard. 

“Come on, let’s go trade while the day is still young.” Sayaka said as she hopped off the wagon while having the folded-up fabrics under one arm. 

Sayaka slowly wandered away from Bankotsu’s side; she was far too enthralled by everything the Nanban had brought with them. Everything from the red cross on their sails to the jewelry on display and even by the strange horses that would nudge Sayaka whenever she’d approach them. 

“You’ll get lost among the crowd.” Bankotsu said once he caught up with Sayaka. He watched as the girl started to pet the horses, smiling when they’d perk their ears up and nickered as they’d nuzzle her. He could see the Nanban men talking with the locals, trying their best to be as approachable as possible. Off to the side was a Nanban priest, though all Bankotsu could hear was “wolololo” as he couldn’t understand a word of what they were preaching.

Bankotsu on the other hand had no interest in interacting with the sailors. “Big Brother, it’s good to see you here.”

Never had Bankotsu ever been so relieved to have seen Renkotsu. “So, this is where you ran off to.” He said in the sternest tone he could muster, hoping to elicit nervousness from Renkotsu. To his disappointment, Renkotsu didn’t fall for it.

Ginkotsu stood behind Renkotsu, covered by sheets- with only his eye exposed as he walked among the crowd. “Is there anything you’d like from the Nanban? I’ll do my best to negotiate with Miguel.” Renkotsu asked with a smile.

Bankotsu scoffed. “The fuck kind of name is that?”

Renkotsu glared back. “I’m sure they think your name is strange as well. I suggest remaining civil if you find something you want.” 

Bankotsu stood at a fair distance from Miguel, becoming somewhat envious of the steel plated chest armor and of the chainmail that hung over the man’s red sleeves. Everything about the Nanban was… unusual and fascinating.

The merchant stood at the vendor, smiling as he spoke with Sayaka. She then turned around and grabbed Bankotsu by the wrist. Miguel puffed his chest and sighed. “ 

Miguel’s face lit up as Bankotsu finally approached on his own volition after being egged on by Sayaka. “Boa dia O senhor, tudo bem? Or, as you people would say- hello young man, how are you doing? Is there anything of interest to you?” Bankotsu was thrown off by how almost fluent Miguel sounded apart from his thick accent. “Oh gracioso, there’s no need for you to be shy.”

Before Bankotsu remembered to retrieve the fabrics, a flaming arrow pierced through one of the sails. Screaming erupted from the crowd as a group of bandits galloped through the market on their horses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So before you go off on me regarding the traders, here's a few things I'd like to highlight:
> 
> *Since this story takes place at some point between 1546-1553 (during Sengoku Jidai), I figured it'd be fun to include reference to the Nanban trade that initially started in 1543. It's always been a head-canon of mine that Renkotsu probably interacted with at least one of the traders prior to the Band of Seven getting executed. It was around the time firearms were being introduced to Japan. 
> 
> *Nanban translates to "Southern Barbarian", which is what the Japanese referred to the Portuguese as from what my research has pulled up.
> 
> *To anyone who speaks Portuguese: I apologize if I messed up on the grammar. I'm trying to learn in my feeble ways.


	14. Showdown at the market

They arrived on their horses, armed with yari and their katanas as they made their way through the market. 

A pale man with long black hair tied in a high ponytail and rugged armour rode up to the merchants. “So, this is where the mortals have gotten their hands on the hinawaju? I have to hand it to you humans, you’re very creative in the various ways you try to fend off Yokai when it comes to weapons manufacturing.” He said with a twisted smile as he tossed a decapitated head with a ripped off face towards Miguel. 

Bankotsu cursed himself for letting Hanzo damage Banryu- this confrontation would’ve ended with a single swing if he had it. In the meantime, he eyed the weapons on display. Meanwhile, Sayaka took refuge under one of the market stands before anyone noticed her. 

Miguel stared at the head’s empty eye sockets in horror. “Senhor, what is it that you want?” Once Bankotsu made eye contact with the pale man’s red eyes, he soon realized that it was a Yokai sitting on top of the mangey horse. 

The other Nanban had managed to get back onto the ship just in time, before any bandit could grab them. 

The Yokai swung his naginata and rested the tip of the blade against Miguel’s throat. “My employer has ordered for me to take as many hinawaju as possible… now, if you could kindly hand over all of them without conflict then I will make sure no one gets hurt.”

Miguel grinned and rose an arm in the air. “We don’t negotiate with heathens like yourself. Fire!” 

At first, the Yokai stared with confusion at Miguel as he withdrew his weapon. Seconds after, a series of bangs echoed in the area as the sailors had shot the Yokai off his horse. The panicked horse reared up and galloped away as the Yokai crashed to the ground.

“Damn you pathetic barbarians. You’ll pay for that.” The Yokai said as his face became deformed and his clothes shredded off his body. Moments later, a large green abomination which barely could be called a moth hovered over towards the ship where the sailors were frantically reloading their weapons. 

Renkotsu pulled the sheets off Ginkotsu’s body. “Aim at that Yokai. Do not let him destroy the firearms!”

“Gersh, I’m already ahead of you.” Ginkotsu fired another shot from his canon, leaving a minor wound on the moth’s chest. As the moth hovered above the ship, the Nanban started to reload their weapons before aiming. However, the sailors proved too slow as they were sprayed with a wave of acidic threads of web covered the ship. 

With the ship covered, the moth stared at the crowd with his crimson eyes. “I will only repeat myself once; hand the weapons over or I will melt this ship.”

Bankotsu eyed up the crossbow on one of the stands, creeping towards it while keeping his eye on the fluttering Yokai. He made eye contact with Renkotsu as the Yokai spoke, before pointing at Ginkotsu. He motioned his finger towards the wings and waited for Renkotsu to nod before he grabbed the crossbow.

“You mortals are pathetic once you’re cornered.” 

The Yokai laughed too soon! Four rapid arrows were shot into its torso as Ginkotsu fired off his canon once again: destroying one of its wings. Bankotsu watched as the behemoth crashed into the market, smiling when it writhed while crawling towards the dirt road. 

Renkotsu slowly followed Bankotsu as the creature collapsed once it reached the road.

The moth writhed on the dirt road, wailing as his sunlight was suddenly blocked when he was cloaked by Bankotsu’s shadow. Never in the Yokai’s life would he imagine seeing a mortal as anything close to menacing as the mercenary then stomped on the small arrow while keeping the crossbow trained on the creature.

“Who sent you?” Bankotsu asked as he then ripped the arrow out of the moth’s eye before reloading the crossbow. He never expected taking a liking to the foreign weapon, yet at that moment he didn’t care- it was just adding to the filthy heathen’s agony. 

“Why should I tell you?”

An arrow penetrated the moth’s eye. “Because I know for a fact that Yokai are just as capable of feeling pain as us puny mortals are. Until you tell me what is going on, you’re going to feel a world of pain.” A sadistic smile crept on to Bankotsu’s face as he kept his new weapon trained on the creature. “Yokai shouldn’t have any interest in the Nanban trade we have going on… and yet you mentioned an employer earlier. So, who sent you?”

“What does it matter to you?”

“Because I want to know what kind of warlord is wealthy enough to hire a Yokai to steal a bunch of firearms. As a mercenary, I’m interested.” 

Bankotsu stomped on the arrow in the creature’s chest. “Ahh, stop it! It hurts... it hurts… Fine… it was Lord Kaneda who did. He wanted them so he could go up against a Daimyo called Narusegawa- at the order of his own shogun.”

“Thanks for the tip.” He ripped the arrows out with a swift motion, smiling as the Yokai screeched.

The bandits who had rode in with the Yokai had left ages ago. Bankotsu turned around and motioned for Renkotsu to approach. “Burn him.”

“No need to ask, I was just about to do so.” Renkotsu said with a devilish grin, already having his gourd out before turning his attention towards the writhing monster. 

Bankotsu listened to the song of pain from the monster for only a second as he walked away from the scene. He reloaded the now bloodied crossbow before handing it back to Miguel, who had taken refuge under a cart. “I like it, but I’m afraid it just doesn’t suit my style.”

“Fair enough, Senhor.” Miguel took the weapon back and sighed. 

Sayaka peaked out from under a stand, lifting the sheets slightly while looking around. “Are they gone?”

Bankotsu knelt and nodded. “Yeah, you can come out now.”

She crawled out and then stood back up, stretching her arms before reaching her hand out to Bankotsu. “Thank you. I owe my life to you now, don’t I?”

He nodded and stood back up as the market slowly resumed to being as lively as before. “Well actually, it’s Renkotsu and the Nanban you owe your life to.” 

Once things calmed down, Bankotsu rejoined Sayaka as she was eyeing up one display of the finest hairpins. She had been fixated on the blue peacock inspired hairpin; not that he could blame her after noticing the teardrop jewel hanging off on the side. He had also noticed a pale green hairpin with a purple butterfly on it. "I'll take those two." He said to Miguel. 

"Alright Senhor." After the exchange of goods, Bankotsu handed the blue hairpin to Sayaka. Watching her become overjoyed while putting on the hairpin made the high price worth it. 

"Did you get the other hairpin for the lady?" Sayaka asked.

Bankotsu arched a brow. "Lady? What other lady in the world would I be giving this to?"

“You know, the pretty woman who was with you when I gave you my dragon scale hairpin to sell off.”

It was difficult for Bankotsu to hold back laughing. “Jakotsu?! He’d be pretty offended if he knew you called him a woman.”

“What?!”

“Just kidding, he’ll be flattered that you think his make up is that convincing.” Bankotsu then called over Renkotsu. “I need to take Sayaka back- mind handing this to Jakotsu when you see him?”

Renkotsu eyed the hairpin and then nodded. “Will do.”

\------------------------

The evening had come unexpectedly early, as Sayaka led Bankotsu through a steep path leading to the castle which belonged to the late Akihiko. “You know, aside from the market getting attacked… I had fun today overall. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so alive as I have today.” Sayaka said with a sigh as skipped ahead of Bankotsu with playful grace. 

“I’ll admit, it was a nice change of pace. I prefer the excitement of the battlefield more, though.”

Sayaka stopped in her steps and cocked her brow. “Why is that?”

“Because it is the one place where I feel free, not constrained by my own thoughts or doubts. Rank does not protect anyone when there is a rainfall of arrows. In a way, I find it beautiful.”

She shrugged and smiled gently in response. Although she didn’t have a lot of experience with being directly on the battlefield, she decided it was the last place on earth she’d ever want to be. “The night sky looks beautiful tonight. I remember the first time I have seen the stars after being locked up for so long… I wanted to cry at the loss of my freedom yet was awestruck by how much I took it for granted.”

“Yeah?”

“It was the night I had snuck away to Miyamoto that I had to pause, just for a moment, to admire the starry sky.” Sayaka’s smile dropped as her mind shifted towards the goofy general with a contagious laugh. She wished that she had spoken to him… even just to thank him. 

“I can’t imagine the feeling. I’d go nuts just staying in one province for too long, let alone a single castle.” As if by magic, the full moon revealed castle walls were within both of their sights once they left the cluster of trees. 

Sayaka tripped over a log and had almost crashed to the ground if not for Bankotsu catching her just in time. The choir of crickets and owls had put Sayaka at ease around the mercenary. “Thank you, once more.” 

He pulled her in and kissed her forehead after brushing her bangs aside. Sayaka froze up, much to his satisfaction as he pulled away from her and watched as she stared at him with wistfulness. “Tell Narusegawa that my men will deal with Lord Kaneda when you return to the castle. I’ll make sure that he cannot bother you anymore.”

It wasn’t until they were at the gates Sayaka finally asked, “how did you know?”

Bankotsu smiled. “I have my ways.” He turned to leave the lovestruck girl at the gates, staring down at the vast forest just below the hill. With nowhere else to go except home, he allowed himself to run down the steep hill and came face to face with the forest once more. 

“I see what you did back there.” Renkotsu said as he revealed himself from the bushes, with neither Ginkotsu nor the wagon in sight. 

“And I see that you never returned to the fortress. I suspect that you don’t trust me enough to return back safely?”

“I was just standing by to make sure you didn’t get ambushed on the way back. Why don’t we walk back together?”

“Are we really going to confront Kaneda?”

“I just want to send him a bold message, that is all. I really didn’t appreciate him hijacking the market today with his lowly bandits.”

“Narusegawa will have no choice but to double our pay, then.”

Bankotsu put a hand on Renkotsu’s shoulder. “I like the way you think.”


	15. Dragon child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. I'm kind of going through a tough time right now, so updates will be slower. I'm sorry.

hapter 14 

“Ginka! Where did you put your armour?” Renkotsu said as he sat down on the platform next to Ginkotsu, who was dressed in a simple hakama and kosode. Even the metal mouth guard was removed, revealing the chaff marks on Ginkotsu’s cheeks from prolonged rubbing. 

Ginkotsu pointed ahead of him. “Over there, it needs to be cleaned and as you can see,” Ginkotsu pointed to the stub of where his left arm once was, “I can’t exactly do it all myself without assistance. I kind of like it when we can relax like this, from time to time.” 

“I see.” It was difficult for Renkotsu to admit that he had forgotten how Ginkotsu looked without any of the armour on; yet he found himself staring in awe at how his old friend still managed to retain some of his once handsome features even after all the modifications. 

Without warning, Ginkotsu wrapped his arm around Renkotsu and pulled him in close. “Ginka… I haven’t heard you call me by that name in almost three years now.” He said with a mischievous smile. 

Renkotsu raised both of his hands and chuckled. “I slipped, don’t worry about it.” 

“Do you… enjoy being in this group?”

Renkotsu laid rolled out a long sheet of fabric before carefully laying out one of the firearms he had purchased from the Nanban traders. “I have come to terms long ago that I have nothing to lose, except for my life.” He started to disassemble the weapon. 

Ginkotsu leaned against the wall, smiling while looking up at the night sky. “I was just thinking about the good old days of when it was just the two of us. I loved my old title ‘Ginka the Terrible’ whenever I’d terrorize a village or two for ransom- just so long as I had a yari and a horse. Then there’d be you, making the nobles beg for mercy as you’d burn down their entire estate whenever they didn’t pay up.” 

With a heavy sigh, Renkotsu put the barrel of the canon down and shook his head. “I see that you forgot about us begging whenever there was a shortage of work for us.”

“Heh. There’s a downside to everything, I suppose.” Ginkotsu scratched his cheek. “Even so, I’m glad that I had travelled with you this entire time… I’m not sure what I’d be doing right now if anyone else had found me in the state I was in when we first met. As cliched as it sounds, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Renkotsu smiled for the first time in what felt like an eternity as he heard Ginkotsu’s words. “To you as well.”

“Man, to think that we are here because Bankotsu decided to swipe in and steal my kill during one siege.”

How could Renkotsu forget that fateful day? Not only had he avenged his fallen comrades from his Sohei brotherhood, but he recalled scrambling to save Ginkotsu from bleeding to death after losing his left arm. “And then you decided to pick a fight with him, assuming it would be an easy victory.” Renkotsu said.

“Hah, you can say that again. I was still calling you Rennyo back then too. He was so… little back then, you know?” It was then Renkotsu had realized how much time passed since, and how young Bankotsu really was. 

Renkotsu’s smile shifted into a frown. “In some ways, he is still a child at times. But that child we met on that day fades away every time I speak to him.”

A brief spark of moonlight bounced off the blade of Bankotsu’s zanbato as he returned from the blacksmith after a three-day journey. Their youthful leader approached the sentimental duo. “We’ll head out whenever you two are ready. I’ll go find Kyokotsu after sunrise.” Bankotsu said after rubbing his eyes. “Fuck, do I still smell of soot?”

Renkotsu nodded. “Not the bad kind either. Reminds me of my old workshop I once had.”

Bankotsu rested the tip of his blade onto the ground and leaned into it for support. “Sorry for taking so long, the blacksmith had a lot of work to do on good old Banryu. I should be good now.”

“I was actually starting to enjoy this downtime.” Ginkotsu laughed. “But work is work.”

\-------------------------------

Bankotsu and the other four mercenaries were out of the fortress before noon- with Suikotsu and Kyokotsu being the only two who were missing from the party. It didn’t take long for Bankotsu to track down Kyokotsu; all it took was the incoherent shouting of a frustrated farmer to alert him before he saw the titan being chased away from an ox’s carcass by a group of villagers.

With no patience for unneeded conflict, Bankotsu ran towards Kyokotsu. “Hey, Kyokotsu! Get your ass over here right now!” Bankotsu shouted in frustration as the abomination turned around and approached him with a flicker of fear. “What have I told you about terrorizing farmers?! They feed us, dammit! I don’t want to be on sour terms with them because of your gluttonous ways.”

He turned towards the band of farmers with their farming tools up in the air. “I’m sorry about that, as you can see my companion is an idiot. Did he cause any damage?”

The elderly farmer scoffed. “He would’ve killed my damn oxen if I didn’t catch him eyeing them up and stressing them out. You need to control him better.”

“My apologies. I’ll enforce the rules even harder on him next time he pulls that kind of stunt again.” Bankotsu said with a forced smile before looking over to Kyokotsu again with a death glare. 

There was a brief look of remorse in Kyokotsu’s face after Bankotsu finished his lecture. “I’m sorry, big brother.”

“You need to learn to listen or you’ll get us all killed one of these days.” Bankotsu headed back onto the dirt path. “When I say leave the farmers and their livestock alone, I mean it! So, unless you intend to take me on in a one on one fight then you better be on your best behaviour from now on.”

Violence was the only language Kyokotsu seemed to understand. Kyokotsu had reminded Bankotsu of the war dogs belonging to Ryutaro- a firm hand was what it took to keep them from turning their fangs on the people feeding them. Only ten times the size, with questionable intelligence. 

Jakotsu looked frustrated as ever. “Ugh, why did that jerk have to be nice again?”

“He can’t help it.” Bankotsu replied as he led the way. “I’m sure he didn’t wander too far from here; we’ll run into him at some point.”

Bankotsu couldn’t help but find himself curious about what it was that caused Suikotsu to… regress. Or why it seemed like the doctor could never remember who any of them way, no matter how many times Bankotsu introduced himself. Yet, the clawed warrior with an unquenched bloodlust knew who they were but didn’t possess any of the doctor’s medical knowledge. 

‘If only he could be somewhere in the middle all the time. That’d be great.’ If Suikotsu were capable of such a feat, he’d become just as valuable as Renkotsu in the group. Yet instead, the split personality proved to be troublesome instead. 

It was when they came upon a desolate village of empty homes and charred farmlands, they saw Suikotsu sitting amid the fallen. Some of the homes were still engulfed in flames. 

Jakotsu was the first to approach Suikotsu. “There you are, Suikotsu. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Much to Bankotsu’s annoyance, they had encountered the doctor instead of the warrior. “I’m busy.” Suikotsu shouted in between sobs as a pale child was rested on his lap. 

“What could possibly draw you to some wrecked village like this? Whatever, come back with us we got work to do.” 

Suikotsu sobbed as he cradled the deceased child in his arms. “I was treating ill children just as the dragon appeared and summoned a storm. Next thing I knew, there was thunder and lighting amid the chaos as it smacked this child with the whiplash of its tail.”

“Yeah, yeah it’s horrible. Can we go now?” Jakotsu said as he grabbed Suikotsu’s sleeve. 

Suikotsu yanked his arm away and hissed. “I don’t even know you, and yet you still feel entitled to spit commands at me?” 

“I’m Jakotsu!” Jakotsu said, stomping his foot. “Ugh, why do I have to go over this every time you decide to be a jerk and run away? It breaks my heart, you know?”

Bankotsu stepped in between them. “Jakotsu, back off, will you?” He held his hand out to Suikotsu. “Does this village hold any sentimental value to you?”

Suikotsu looked up and nodded. “Even though I hardly remember anything, this village is the first one to house me even though I was a wandering doctor with no memory of my own. But then that dragon…” the doctor started to tremble with rage. “That fucking dragon came in and destroyed everything!”

Jakotsu grinned as Suikotsu’s tone of voice shifted into vengeance. It was then, Suikotsu had allowed his hair to come undone and wild. “That dragon pisses me off, you know. I wish I had my claws with me at the time, I would’ve torn it to shreds.” 

\----------------------

A lone lavender-haired girl with tear stained cheeks and ragged clothes walked through a forest just north of where the decimation occurred, sobbing until a priestess from a nearby temple approached her. “Oh child, where is your mother?”

The girl buried her hands into her face. “She’s hurt, I need help.”

“Do you have a name, dearest?” Asked the concern priestess, who noticed the four horns on the girl’s head. 

Once the girl seemed to have calmed down, she spoke. “Aiyuki! Come this way, mama is over here.” The girl grabbed the priestess’ hand and headed towards the forest. “She hurt her foot really badly.”

It wasn’t until they were cloaked by the darkness of the canopy of trees did the priestess start to become suspicious of Aiyuki. “Oh wow, your mother is quite far from the temple. It’s a good thing you found me when you did.” 

Hisses from the bushes echoed in the forest, giving the priestess a haunting reminder that she was unarmed. Aiyuki stopped in her tracks.

“Come on, let’s play!” Aiyuki said as she held her hands up and the air. “My friends will be happy to play too.” 

Worm like creatures emerged from the bushes and grabbed the priestess by her arms as she was held up in the air. Her screams went unheard, something she only realized soon after her clothes were torn off. “Stop it!” the priestess screamed as she struggled against the tightening grip around her body. 

“Hey guys, don’t be rough on her!” Aiyuki shouted, though it was in vain as the creatures started to rip open the woman’s abdomen amid her ear-piercing screams that could not reach her temple. Within mere seconds, the screaming ceased and the Yokai withdrew. 

The eviscerated corpse fell to the ground. 

Aiyuki frowned while running a finger down the mangled woman’s face. “Aww man, you guys killed her way too fast- I wanted her to become my new mama for a while. Oh well, she wasn’t strong enough anyway.”


	16. Daisuke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I haven't been well lately.

“Who are you waiting for?”

Sayaka flinched and held a death grip on the wooden railing when she heard the curious handmaid speak to her. “No one, I just like the view of the trees out here.” Sayaka said, pointing to the vast sea of pine trees surrounding the castle. No one outside of the castle knew where Akihiko once dwelled. 

The handmaid dressed in green was unconvinced. “Your face is crimson. Come on, tell me, who’s the lucky man worthy of your attention?” 

“I already said there’s no one, drop it!” The last thing Sayaka wanted to deal with that day was the intrusion of her private thoughts. Now that she thought about it, she had been growing more aloof as the days passed on- hoping for any sign that the sell sword would return to confirm his survival once more. 

“Is it for that young samurai who came here with a marriage proposal the other day?”

Sayaka shook her head. “No.”

“Is it for that handsome lord who rode in here offering to take you as far from conflict as possible if you become his wife?”

“No.”

“What about that young man who was at the market with you? You had it written all over your face that you were fawning over him.”

Sayaka turned around and looked at the handmaid with a surprised expression. “What?” She covered her face; was it really that obvious? 

“The same one who brought you back here. What’s the story behind you and him, anyway? In all the time I’ve known you since your arrival, there hasn’t been a man who has ever come within five feet of your personal space- yet there you were invading his.”

Sayaka started twirling a strand of hair in between her fingers, looking away as her face became redder. “He’s my friend, that’s all.”

“Friend, eh? What’s his name?”

There was a slight hesitation before Sayaka replied. “Bankotsu.” She felt a pleasant shiver as she spoke his name. Without realizing it, her heart fluttered when she thought about the last conversation, she had with him and dreaded to hear any news of him passing away.

“Is he the same guy who helped Lord Akihiko rescue you from Hanzo?” Sayaka nodded as she stared into the clear skies, resting her cheek against the palm of her hand while her mind drifted away into a dreamscape. Only in the dreamscape could she fantasize about Bankotsu climbing the ranks of power- having enough to become a Daimyo himself and taking her on as his wife. They’d be in a secluded place like this, away from most conflicts of the surrounding land. 

Sayaka snapped back to reality upon the realization that it would be impossible to convince a free spirit like Bankotsu to stay in one place. Despite her limited experience, she knew that the type of men who’d stick with the sell sword lifestyle were those who could never be tamed by any social pressure to show loyalty to any lord in the land. From what she had seen, many sell swords had nothing to lose except their lives- and not even that was valuable enough to them to keep them away from battle. 

The daydreaming would come to end as she overheard shouting from the courtyard. As soon as she saw a child arguing with the guards, Sayaka rushed over to see what the conflict was.

“Half breeds like you have no right be stepping foot in this place!” Was the first thing Sayaka heard when she made it to the courtyard, coming face to face with Aiyuki.

Aiyuki frowned. “But why? My father was a powerful dragon Daiyoukai who was respected around here. And the late Akihiko was the descendant of one too. Shouldn’t I be allowed to come and go as I please?”

“No! Get out of here.” The guard drew his blade and pointed it at Aiyuki. “If you don’t comply, then I will slice you down where you stand.”

“Stop it!” Sayaka shouted, rushing to Aiyuki’s side. “She’s a child, yet you’re picking on her. What do you gain from this?”

The guard backed away. “Lady Sayaka, she’s a half breed!”

“I can see that. Was she causing problems around here with her presence?” Sayaka smiled a little when she saw the guard fumbling for an answer. “Leave her be. If she doesn’t start any problems, I see no problem in allowing her to stay.”

Sayaka then turned her attention towards Aiyuki. “Please accept my apologies on his behalf, we’ve been receiving a lot of written threats as of late so things are a bit tense around here.” Sayaka paused. “You look famished. Would you care for something to eat?”

Aiyuki’s face lit up with delight. “A bowl of rice would do!”

\----------------------------------------------------------

It wasn’t until midday three days after leaving the western province that they were closer to Kaneda. Three days of a consistent routine- travel, stop by a small village to ask for directions, travel more until sundown and then rest. 

Although a full-blown conquest had always appealed to Bankotsu, he knew better than to simply charge without knowing a little bit about foes; a small piece of wisdom Ryutaro passed on to him that he still carried around. To his annoyance, there wasn’t a whole lot of information about Kaneda. Nothing about the Samurai-Daisho that Bankotsu was told would prove to be useful information to him; except for the location of a supply base containing stolen firearms. 

At least It was somewhat of a start for Bankotsu to work with. A short drizzle slowed them down a little, but only because it made them take refuge in the forest’s canopy before they headed towards the nearest poverty-stricken village. 

Bankotsu waited until the sun revealed itself and then announced his temporary departure. “I’m going to go ask around about Kaneda.” 

Renkotsu walked over to Bankotsu’s side with a confident smile. “Would you like me to come along with you?” Times like these were when he was grateful to have Renkotsu around; the former Sohei was the only other member in their group who could act normal enough to gather intel.

“Yes.”

Jakotsu clapped his hands, not even waiting for his superiors to be out of sight before barking orders at the rest. “Alright boys, you heard him. Let’s get it over with.”

Famished oxen plowed through the fields half heartedly as flies swarmed around them. Miserable rice fields dominated the landscape amid worn homes. It was a village full of people with nothing to lose, yet everything to gain. 

A lone middle-aged woman collapsed as she tried to loosen the reins on her ox. Seeing the opportunity, Bankotsu approached and held his hand out to her. “Are you alright, miss?” The woman yanked on Bankotsu’s hand and leaned into him once she was back on her feet. “Take it easy.” 

Renkotsu bowed his head. “Relax, I’ll go fetch some water for you.” 

The impatient ox pawed at the ground. “Yeah, yeah she’ll get back to you in a moment.” Bankotsu said to the ox, who continued to paw at the wet soil below as Renkotsu returned with a water bucket.

“Here, this should help.” Renkotsu said as he placed the bucket in front of the woman. The worn-out woman perked up and looked around before she grabbed a handful of water and drank it. She then lifted the bucket to the ox, who then started inhaling the water.

The woman looked over to Renkotsu. “Thank you, blessed one.” 

Bankotsu put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Sorry to bother you over this miss, but you wouldn’t happen to know anything about the Samurai-Daisho Kaneda- would you?” 

A flash of anger sparked in the woman’s eye. “Kaneda is a devil, that’s all you need to know. Ever since he started that feud with that Daimyo southwest from here, he’s been conscripting all the locals with force. My husband was among the bandits who were hired to try to steal firearms from the Nanban market.”

Renkotsu put a hand over his heart. “It aches my heart to hear of your husband’s life being ended on behalf of a war monger. If you’d like, we can avenge your husband on your behalf at no financial cost to you.”

Bankotsu stepped away from the woman. “All we ask is if you can give us any clue as to his whereabouts. We intend to teach Kaneda a lesson for messing with our favourite customer.”

The woman clenched her fist as she trembled with rage. “Fine, I’ve got nothing to lose. He has a supply base located east from this village where he has been hoarding firearms and other weapons looted from other warlords he has slain.”

Bankotsu handed over two ryo to the woman. “You’ve made a wise decision today. 

A glint of hope sparked in the woman’s dark eyes. “Please, chase them out of here. We’re tired of them!” The young mercenaries nodded and walked away from the woman. There was a time when this method of getting information from locals had left a bad taste in Bankotsu’s mouth. Yet now, his sense of morals had become a blur to him.

Renkotsu suddenly stopped. It only took a moment for Bankotsu to notice that Renkotsu was fixated on an archer who had just shot a deer through the eye. There was a peculiar smile that crept onto Renkotsu’s face whenever an idea would flash through his mind; Bankotsu by this point knew better than to interrupt him as the monk walked towards the boy. 

“Pardon me for my intrusion, but I must say that you have fine marksmanship.” Renkotsu said as he had gotten a small bag of coins from his satchel. The boy furrowed his brow as he yanked the arrow out.

The young archer grabbed the deer’s hind legs and started dragging the corpse away from the sight. “Tch, if you’re trying to recruit me to defend the supply base then forget about it. I need to feed my sister, you know.”

“I take it you don’t like the dominating warlord here then?”

“Kaneda? He can go die in a fire for all I care.” 

With a gentle smile, Renkotsu rummaged through the satchel and gave the boy a handful of coins. “Fire an ignited arrow at the base. If you manage to set it ablaze before my brothers and I arrive, I will give you twice that amount.”

The boy bit one of the coins and then looked back up to Renkotsu with a devilish smile. “Well, well. Alright then, you got yourself a deal. I’ll get my father to deal with this doe while I get ready.”

“One more thing.” Renkotsu said, handing a piece of cloth. “It’ll be easier for you if you wrap this around the head of the arrow. I soaked it in an alcohol solution.”

The boy sniffed the cloth. “Oh god, you weren’t kidding. Alright, thanks for the tip.”

Once the boy was out of sight, Bankotsu caught up to Renkotsu and wrapped an arm around the man’s shoulder. “What would I do without you? I love the way you think.”

“It was nothing.” Renkotsu replied, following his leader. “I simply seek out villages that have benefitted the least from their ruling warlord is all. They have no loyalty, after all.”

Bankotsu nodded. “Can’t say that I blame them.”

\-------------------

Kaneda watched over the supply base from atop of a hill; he knew better than to leave the base alone shortly after numerous raids he paid bandits to carry out against various other bases. Beside him was a pudgy boy in red armor no older than thirteen, who sat on top of a grey horse. 

Daisuke, as the boy was called, had gone from being a source of pride to embarrassment for Kaneda in just the short course of three years for Kaneda. With hands softer than any noble women Kaneda encountered, it was as if Daisuke had never picked up a blade once in his life. 

Yet, all Kaneda could do was blame himself for never being home long enough to train Daisuke himself for very long. “Daisuke, have you been training while I was gone from the castle?” Kaneda asked. 

“Yes father!” Daisuke said with forced enthusiasm. “Well, actually it’s been on and off with grandpa because he’s weak these days. But I’ve been doing my best.” Instead of validation, Kaneda glared at Daisuke.

“In other words, you have made no progress. Is your mother spoiling you again?” Daisuke looked away. “What have I told you about overindulging yourself whenever I’m not home? You will not become a formidable warrior that way.”

Daisuke hopped off his horse and unsheathed his katana. “I have been training whenever I can, I’ll show you how much stronger I’ve become since the last duel!”

Within seconds of Kaneda unsheathing his blade, Daisuke charged at him with a battle cry. Only two collisions were made before Kaneda kicked Daisuke in the torso and sent the boy wobbling backwards. He lost his grip on the katana’s handle and fell backwards into the wet mud. 

Mud splashed onto Daisuke’s soft face as the blade landed in the puddle below after one swift motion of Kaneda’s katana. “I shouldn’t have listened to your mother and allow you to stay within the walls this whole time. Those walls made you too soft!”

Restrained tears fogged up Daisuke’s vision, only to be released when Kaneda’s back was turned. He picked up his blade and anticipated a rematch but was met with Kaneda’s wrath instead. “Get out of my sight until you start behaving more like a man! If an enemy were to find out about how weak you are, they will exploit that. Forget whatever it was your mother taught you.”

It wasn’t until Kaneda watched Daisuke walk over to the nearest tree and weep did remorse start to gnaw at him. ‘It’s only my luck that my legitimate son is softer than most boys his age… meanwhile, my bastard son is leading a band of mercenaries.’ Kaneda glanced back at the base. ‘If I could somehow recruit Kenta and get rid of those low lives that he travels with then maybe he could set an example for Daisuke.’

A limping soldier made his way towards Kaneda, using his yari for balance. “General, the supply base is under attack!” 

Color faded from Kaneda’s face. “What kind of maniac is bold enough to attack our base?”

The soldier caught his breath and put a hand over Kaneda’s shoulder, panting. “They say they’re the band of seven!” Kaneda grabbed his naginata climbed back onto his horse and kicked its side. The horse galloped towards the smouldering base amid a sea of fresh corpses. The menpo mask flew from Kaneda’s face. 

He rushed towards the remaining soldiers. “Capture the leader and kill the rest of the mercenaries!” Kaneda shouted before he rushed into the blazing hellscape where charred bodies laid. “Damn it, I’m too late.”

Rainfall did little to ease the flames within the base. The sky lit up with a mighty roar as the sheer decimation had sunk in for Kaneda.

Kaneda could only keep his distance when helplessly watched as a samurai was slashed into two by Bankotsu’s zanbato. ‘The rumors were true about his weapon.’ Was its fear or admiration? Kaneda wasn’t sure and had no intention on figuring it out as Bankotsu glanced his way.

Just seeing the uncaring azure eyes only made Kaneda uneasy. ‘Who would have thought that I’d face you here… of all places.’ After collecting himself, Kaneda charged at Bankotsu with the naginata pointed at him. ‘No! The moment you stepped into this territory was the moment you became my enemy. Son or not, you will become my prisoner!”

The naginata made brief contact with the towering zanbato. As Kaneda’s horse circled around the sell sword, Bankotsu tightened the grip on his zanbato’s handle before unleashing a swift swing. It only took a single swing for Kaneda’s horse to fall, from having her back legs severed. 

Kaneda hopped off his mare as she collapsed, barely dodging having his legs crushed by the massive weight of the flailing animal. Without as much as a second thought, Kaneda unsheathed his katana and had almost charged at Bankotsu.

It was seeing the size of the zanbato that Kaneda’s rational thinking had made him pause. 

“Are you in contact with General Kaneda? If so, I will let you live so long as you pass a message on for me.” Kaneda refused to answer but listened to Bankotsu anyway. “Withdraw from your conflict with Narusegawa or the Band of Seven will decimate your entire territory.”

The flames died down as the rainfall got harsher. Bankotsu started to walk away. “Kenta… you monster.” Kaneda said just loud enough that Bankotsu could hear.

Bankotsu stopped. “How do you know my name?” There was no answer to be had from Kaneda, as silently put his mare down. 

Kaneda watched Bankotsu regroup with the other six mercenaries, shaking his head.


	17. Passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has left a kudos. I appreciate every single one, and I hope my story continues to entertain you.

Great shame overcame Daisuke when Kaneda walked over to him. Just seeing Kaneda’s bewildered eyes left Daisuke to turn his head away in shame. “Daisuke… we should get back to the castle and regroup. Once we get there, your training will get more intense.”

Daisuke nodded. “Yes father.” 

How only seven sell swords manage to cause this much damage in a short period of time? Its baffled Daisuke no matter which angle he tried to approach it with. He soon forgot about his confusion when he caught a glimpse of the mercenaries passing by at a distance, cloaked by a thick fog.

Rage boiled over Daisuke—he couldn’t stand the thought that not even Kaneda was able to stand up to some lowly sell swords. Daisuke then picked up a bow and arrow set, keeping his sights fixated on the mercenaries. On the impulse of fury, Daisuke climbed back onto his steed’s back and jabbed its side. 

He then took aim at Bankotsu.

“For the sake of my clan, I cannot let you live to tell this tale!” Daisuke shouted before firing off the arrow. It was at that moment, for a second, Bankotsu made eye contact with Daisuke.

The arrow’s path stopped at Bankotsu’s chest. At first, Daisuke was pleased with his aim—that was until Bankotsu pulled the arrow from the armor that shielded his heart. Daisuke started trembling with anger. 

Bankotsu looked over the head of the arrow and then back at the pudgy cavalry archer before him. “Well, well what do we have here? A novice marksman. It’s too bad you didn’t have the foresight to aim somewhere more sensible.” He tossed the arrow to the ground. “I’m not really fond of killing fledglings before they can fly, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth.”

Daisuke clenched the reins, with tears streaming down his cheeks. “How dare you speak to me that way! I’ll have you know that my father is one of the finest Samurai-Daisho in the land and I will not let you get away with humiliating him.”

He blindly charged through the fog, getting ready to aim at the leader once again. Just when Daisuke had gotten close enough to take aim, he saw a gigantic shadow from within the fog and stopped. His jaw opened wide as he spotted the uncaring, hateful glance from the giant beyond the fog.

Before he had a chance to retreat, Kyokotsu rose his hand and smacked Daisuke from his horse. Instead of landing on the ground, Daisuke’s body smacked against the trunk of a tree. A loud crack could be heard as Daisuke’s back hit the tree.

Within moments of Daisuke pushing himself up from the ground with his foreground, waves of the titan’s hot breath blew against him. One look at the razor teeth and Daisuke started flailing to get back onto his feet. 

“Leave him alone, Kyokotsu.” Bankotsu said before disappearing into the fog. Much to Daisuke’s dismay and relief, Kyokotsu followed his leader while keeping his eyes trained on the fallen novice. As the titan disappeared, Daisuke made several attempts to get back on his feet. He let out a painful groan and collapsed. 

‘I can’t feel my feet!’ 

Daisuke only allowed himself to pass out when he heard Kaneda’s frantic echoing calls from a distance. 

\------------------------------------

“Aiyuki, please don’t go!” Sayaka said, rushing down the stairs after Aiyuki. “I still need to fix your yukata.” It had only been a week since the child arrived and already Sayaka was overwhelmed in trying to keep up with her. It was only a matter of time before Aiyuki would leave the premises without returning. Heaven forbid if anything were to happen to the child; Sayaka would never forgive herself for letting Aiyuki loose. 

A burning sensation in Sayaka’s chest was all it took for her to cease the chase and started to cough. ‘Not again…’ She thought as she covered her mouth with her pink sleeve. For the last four days, Sayaka had on and off fits of coughing. 

Aiyuki only glanced at Sayaka briefly before taking off to the courtyard garden.

Narusegawa approached Sayaka from behind. Even when she was within castle grounds, Narusegawa still insisted on wearing her dark blue armor. Thanks to her respirator, Sayaka always had a hard time trying to read the newly appointed Daimyo’s expressions. The only thing that could give way to whatever Narusegawa was thinking was her remaining unscarred eye. 

There were rumors Sayaka had overheard about the origins of Narusegawa’s scars over where her left eye once was. The most believable for Sayaka was that Narusegawa is a former Yokai-slayer who had her eye torn out by a fearsome Yokai. It was only for Narusegawa’s greying long hair that hung over her chest that anyone would be able to pick up on her being a woman; aside from her voice. 

“Sayaka, I need to speak with you.” Sayaka’s heart dropped when Narusegawa whispered to her. 

The tone of Narusegawa’s voice put Sayaka at unease. 

The little noble woman followed Narusegawa out to the koi pond amid that stood within the courtyard, amid a vagrant garden. Sayaka’s heart rushed as Narusegawa handed a scroll over to her. “Do you realize what you just enabled those mercenaries to do? Their actions have fanned the flames of this conflict in more ways than you know of.” Narusegawa said. 

Sayaka’s grey eyes widened as she looked over the contents within the scroll. There was no doubt about Kaneda’s anger that seethed through the death threat. “All I know is that---”

Narusegawa grabbed the scroll and continued scolding. “What do you know doesn’t matter at this point, you’re going to have to sway the neighboring warlords to align with us to stave off any backlash our territory will receive over this.”

Aiyuki peered from behind a tree with piqued interest. 

“You don’t understand, I---” Sayaka paused momentarily, “I thought that it would be wise to send out a strong message to Kaneda.”

Sayaka’s anxiousness had blinded her from her surroundings; she didn’t even notice the courtyard gates opening to allow Bankotsu and Renkotsu to enter. Under normal circumstances she would’ve at least noticed the zanbato from a distance. 

Narusegawa grabbed Sayaka’s wrist and started squeezing it. “I refuse to let the deaths of Akihiko and Miyamoto be in vain because of your lack of insight into these matters. If it weren’t for my loyalty to them, I would have none towards you. Remember that.” 

Bankotsu furrowed his brow and got in between the two women. 

“Knock it off, will you?” Sayaka’s heart almost stopped when she heard Bankotsu’s voice as he approached them. “It’s not Sayaka’s fault that I decided to teach Kaneda a lesson he’s not going to forget anytime soon. I did it because she’s the only noble I carry any loyalty towards; the only one the Band of Seven will protect even if it means death for us.”

Renkotsu glared at Bankotsu and shook his head; trying anything he could to get his leader to stop talking. 

“If Kaneda’s shogun tries to invade this province then so what? We can take care of it. He didn’t have enough foresight to keep the supply base full of Nanban weapons heavily guarded- so he won’t be much of a problem for long.”

Narusegawa crossed her arms. “What makes you qualified to make that kind of judgement?”

Bankotsu shrugged. “I’ve been in more battles than you can imagine- I know enough about how these bastards run the show. The moment they face any resistance from their enemy, if they don’t flee then they’ll try to invade without impulse.”

Renkotsu stepped in, with an eerily calm expression as he bowed his head to Sayaka. “As a former advisor and his second in command, I can verify that he speaks the truth. So long as you don’t try to sell off our Lady, we will at least be faithful enough to not work for enemy forces.” He held his hand towards Sayaka with a pleasant smile as he rose his head up. “You should consider it a rare privilege, for we don’t usually swear loyalty to anyone.”

“Know this.” Narusegawa pointed her finger to Bankotsu as she rose her voice. “If you do anything further to compromise the safety of our villages, then I will collide with other lords to ensure that your entire group is eliminated.”

The Daimyo gave the mercenaries one final glare. “I’ll go grab your payment. From now on, don’t do anything without my permission when it comes to dealing with my enemies.”

It wasn’t until Narusegawa was out of sight did Sayaka break her silence. “I’m sorry for all of this. Tensions have been high around here lately.”

Bankotsu chuckled and put his zanbato down. “Don’t sweat it, Sayaka. It’s not your fault that Narusegawa is such a bitch.” He pulled Sayaka into an embrace. 

“She’s actually really nice once you get to know her.” Sayaka said, her face getting redder by the minute. 

Once Bankotsu let go of Sayaka, Renkotsu bowed his head. “We won’t be acting out on our own accord without your permission again. Please accept our apologies for the inconveniences we have caused you.” 

Sayaka laughed nervously. “I’m sure it’ll work out in the end. Are you two going to be staying here for long?” Bankotsu picked his zanbato back up and rested it against his unprotected shoulder. 

“I’d love to stay overnight but,” Bankotsu glanced over to Renkotsu. “I don’t think any of my companions would approve of my absence for very long. Unless you want me to drop by later.”

Renkotsu rolled his eyes.

“Um, if you want. Well actually, if it interferes with your work then you should prioritize that.” Sayaka looked away and covered her face. “But if you’re free, then you can!”

Bankotsu nodded. “Alright, I’ll try to swing by then. Don’t stay up all night expecting me to turn up, though.”

After Narusegawa returned and handed the small bag of ryo over to Bankotsu, the mercenaries headed towards the gates. Sayaka smiled. Her heart fluttered when Bankotsu waved to her with a smirk; until Narusegawa shook her head. 

“You poor soul.” Narusegawa said before heading back into the castle. 

The elation Sayaka felt melted away. She then headed towards the big maple tree where Aiyuki stood behind. “You know it’s rude to eavesdrop, do you?”

Aiyuki tilted her head. “Was that bad man causing you trouble?” 

Sayaka shook her head. “There was a bit of miscommunication between us, that’s all. I didn’t really expect to receive a death threat from Kaneda this soon.”

\---------

“You idiot! What the hell were you thinking?! I though that we’re not supposed to be loyal to anyone.” Renkotsu shouted as soon as the castle walls were out of sight and they were in the shadows of the forest. “Aren’t you against that line of thinking you’d find in the Samurai order? 

Bankotsu sighed and stopped by a passing river stream. “Calm down, I was just sticking up for the poor girl because she was getting yelled at. It’s not like she holds any influence besides being a diplomat of sorts… or anything.”

“You don’t get it, do you? You just turned her into a target for anyone with a bone to pick against the group. If they cannot get to us directly, then they’ll attack that castle because of Sayaka.” It almost surprised Bankotsu that Renkotsu showed any regard for someone he hardly knew. Perhaps it was because Renkotsu had something to lose; and in that sense, they were both on the same page. 

“If anyone touches her, then I’ll send their severed heads to their clan leaders.”

Renkotsu scoffed. “I really hope you’re prepared to deal with politics from now on. I don’t like the thought of us getting killed because you were thinking with your second head.”

“So be it.” Bankotsu walked towards a dirt path made possible by the hoof prints of horses who trampled the land. “Tell you what; once we get this mess dealt with then we can seize some land for ourselves. Once we do that, we can start building a formidable army of more than just the seven of us.”

Bankotsu watched as Renkotsu’s anxiousness eased into relief. “Truth be told, I was wondering how long it would take you to finally say that. Should we let the others know?”

“Not yet, I don’t want them getting too excited. For now, let’s keep it between the two of us.”

“Fair enough.” Renkotsu sighed, “I’m sorry. I just wish that you would tell me that you’d be publicly making wild proclamations; especially ones of that degree.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered.” Bankotsu looked around as the sun started to set. “Why don’t you tell the others to fix up their weapons? I’ll be back early in the morning, before the sun rises.

“Not until you tell me what it is, we are getting ready for.”

“We’re just going to head back east and see what jobs we can do in the meantime. I’d like to get a couple of things while we wait out this stagnant time.” Bankotsu looked over to the steep hill that they had finished climbing down. “Though I think I’ll be going to the Nanban market first to grab some more of their medicine. I find it works pretty well for numbing the worst of pains.”

Renkotsu arched his brow. “I see. Very well then. I shall see you before sunrise.”

\-------

Moonlight was the only thing that allowed Sayaka to see her surroundings from within her quarters. She sat by the balcony, with the window closed. Her eyes were getting heavier by the minute. 

‘Why am I even doing this? He’s not going to show up.’ 

She ran her fingers through her hair as she started counting the trees, dismayed at the surprising lack of action from the outside world. A chill went down her spine when she felt the evening wind brush against her face. 

The white robe she wore did nothing to shield her from the temperature drop. She almost resigned to return to the comfort of the vintage choudai bed; the final gift that Akihiko was supposed to surprise her with once she was brought to the castle. Sayaka had no idea how he managed to get his hands on this antique bed in the first place; they hadn’t been around since the time of the noble rule.

Just as she grabbed the curtain surrounding her choudai, she heard a faint tap against the railing of the balcony. Her heart dropped when she saw that an arrow had impaled the rail; until she looked over the courtyard.

She could barely see Bankotsu standing there with the bow, but it was him no doubt. Without caring that she was only in sleepwear, she rushed out from her abode. 

After sneaking her way through the hallways and quietly opening the front doors, Sayaka pranced into the courtyard. No matter how excited she was to see him, she had to fight the urge to call out to him. Luckily, he was close enough to the stone walls to climb over and then land with the grace of a cat. Sayaka rushed over to him.

“I’m surprised you’re still awake at this hour, My Lady.” He put his hands around her waist and pulled her in close. 

Sayaka glanced around her. “Are you crazy?! What if you get caught with me out here?” He then put his hands onto her cheeks and then pressed his lips against hers. 

Sayaka froze when he pulled back. “You seem to be just as much of a thrill seeker as I am. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have bothered, would you?” he said, running his hand down her cheek. Her flustered face only seemed to excite him further. 

Old memories haunted her for a second. If Hanzo sees this, then there would be hell to pay. ‘Hanzo isn’t here anymore to punish me…’ 

She threw her arms around Bankotsu and pulled him into an embrace. “It’s too cold to do it out here…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Use your imagination to figure out what they did next.


	18. Schemes

Chapter 17

It was in the middle of the night when Renkotsu stepped outside of the fortress he called “home” for quite some time; it was more a glorified armoury to them. Although if Bankotsu told him that it would become a permanent base of operations, Renkotsu would be content with it at this point. In some ways, it would have given Renkotsu a semblance of a routine--- he was beginning to dislike the periods of uncertainty where there would be no work to suddenly getting swamped. 

At the very least he had hoped that Sayaka would’ve provided Bankotsu with enough motivation to stay fixated within the surrounding area for work. Out of all the Shichinintai, Renkotsu was one of the only two members to know Bankotsu well enough that any love interest was always going to be fleeting; not even the ‘ideal wife’ could motivate the young leader to at least strive to be a warlord. 

‘What am I doing with my life to be in this spot? I’m sure that my Master would be furious if he were to see what I have been reduced to.’

Renkotsu stared into the starry sky, lamenting over what he knew to be lost potential. Not just of Bankotsu, but himself as well. Years ago, he had gone from being a ruined monk, to a formidable Sohei and was briefly a military advisor until his division was overthrown by an enemy Daimyo; but he at least carried on as a Sohei with pride. Yet now, he was no more than a well-educated mercenary. 

‘Even though Bankotsu has expressed a desire to climb up the ranks from a simple mercenary to something beyond that… I’m not sure if he understands how much more work that will be. Just getting this armoury was a result of Narusegawa becoming the new Daimyo by default of Akihiko’s death.’

“Hey Renkotsu, you’re up unusually early. Did you have a bad dream or something?”

Jakotsu’s voice made Renkotsu flinch. “No, it’s just that I can’t sleep. Nothing more, nothing less.” Renkotsu said after breaking free from his daze of lament. 

“I see; I guess even smart guys like you get anxious from time to time.” Jakotsu stretched his arms up and joined Renkotsu in star gazing. “You know, I’ve never noticed until now how beautiful the evening skies look.” 

Renkotsu allowed himself to sit down as he continued looking at the starry blanket above. “I used to star gaze all the time in I lived in Kaga as a child; my master used to tell me to stop because then I’d wake up tired and unable to retain memory of whatever he would try to teach me that day. Those were simpler times, when the wars were far away from me.”

Grief briefly tugged at Renkotsu’s heart as he remembered the soft-spoken monk who practically raised him. ‘That’s right, I already avenged him. Yet, why does my heart still cry out for Master whenever I settle down like this?’

“Yeah, my old boss used to get mad whenever I’d sleep in too. Ryutaro was a strict warrior with high expectations of Bankotsu and I; he never let us make any excuses for taking it easy. But if not for him, I’d have never been able to have this blade of mine forged.” Jakotsu brought out his covered weapon and ran a hand across the violet scaled sheath with a nostalgic smile. “I think he’d be ashamed of the both of us for not serving any lord or lady with dedication. But what are we supposed to do in times like this, anyway? Everyone just backstabs each other.”

“All we can do for now is rely on each other.” Renkotsu leaned his head back, frowning. “Who knows.”

Jakotsu chuckled. “At this rate, we might go down in history as heroes who rose from the rags of poverty and united the country.”

“I wouldn’t count on that; we’ve made enough enemies to be painted as villains.” Renkotsu added, “and it doesn’t help that you torture men who you feel attracted to. So, if we’re not already being portrayed as Oni in someone’s artwork, then it is only a matter of time.”

Morning light began to peer over the landscape when Jakotsu sat down next to Renkotsu. “You know what? It doesn’t matter what we do, we’ll always be the villain of someone’s story. Just so long as it doesn’t lead to all of us dying then we only should worry about the present. Right?”

Renkotsu closed his eyes and nodded. “I agree, for now.”

He didn’t know for how long he was sleeping next to Jakotsu underneath the tree; but when he was it was by Suikotsu’s loud voice. Renkotsu groaned as he struggled to open his heavy eyes and looked up at Suikotsu, who had been standing next to Ginkotsu and Mukotsu as well. 

“At least you’re near here. Ugh, where the hell is, he? I hate it when he makes us wait for him like this.” Suikotsu leaned against a tree as he ranted. “It’s already past sunrise.”

Renkotsu sighed heavily and stood up once more. It didn’t take much of an imagination for him to figure out what Bankotsu was up to throughout the night; something which he’d rather not try to picture. He figured he should have expected as much from his young leader, yet he still found himself disappointed. 

“He’s probably sleeping in wherever he passed out.” Jakotsu said, grimacing as he spoke before reaching his hand up towards Renkotsu to be pulled back up on to his level. “Maybe he found a barrel of sake and drank himself stupid again. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s ever happened. Or maybe he decided to go ransack a village without us.”

Suikotsu wrapped his arm around Jakotsu’s shoulder with a boisterous laugh. “That bastard wouldn’t dare go have fun without us! Would he?” 

“Gersh, I’ll kick his ass if that’s true.” Ginkotsu said with a chuckle through his metal mask and then looked over to Renkotsu. Mukotsu shook his head and maintained his grip on the straps of his knapsack. 

“Hey, I heard you were all talking shit about me.”

Jakotsu’s face lit up momentarily, perking up from his seat as he hopped off the tree. “Bankotsu, where the hell were you?!” He shouted as he rushed towards Bankotsu, smiling with his arms wide open. “I was worried that you were killed by bandits or something.” 

“At the Nanban Market, where else would I be?”

While Renkotsu held no doubts of Bankotsu being at the market, he knew that was only half of the story. Jakotsu’s brows furrowed and he stomped his foot onto the ground. “All night?! They usually close before sundown.”

“I wanted to get there before the crack of dawn so I can grab these.” Bankotsu reached into a small bag he was carrying and handed out glass vials to Jakotsu, Renkotsu and Suikotsu. “The white stuff you see in this vial is extracted from the seed of poppies; when you consume even just a little bit it’ll ease off any pain Use it sparingly; this shit is expensive.”

Suikotsu put the vial away and grinned. “I never took you to be a frugal type.”

“Well, if there’s anyway for the doctor side of you to make more of this stuff then let me know. I’ll lead him to a field of poppies if he’d like.”

Suikotsu rolled his eyes and looked away from the group. “Tch, don’t count on that goody two shoes.”

There was a glint of concern from Ginkotsu’s eye when he was handed his own vial. “Don’t people get hooked on this stuff? Gersh. I’ve heard stories of people getting very violent from this.” 

Renkotsu smiled as he patted Ginkotsu’s back. “Only if you take more than you need. Just don’t overdo it.” 

Before they had the chance to continue the conversation, Bankotsu reached into his bag and pulled out a strange leaf. Renkotsu rose a brow. “What is that you got there, Bankotsu?” He asked. 

“They’re supposed to help you stay awake. It’s for those nights when we’re going to be up until sunrise.” Bankotsu nipped at the tip of the leaf. “Miguel said that they’re from some faraway land where there are fields full of these things that the locals use for late night hunts. I know it works because it’s saving me from feeling tired.” 

Jakotsu nervously chuckled. “Who needs sleep anyway? So, got any idea where we are heading to next since we’ve had too much downtime?”

Bankotsu nodded. “We’re going to head down south. There’s a lot of fighting and looting we could be doing down there to get us through this month.”

\--------

The Samurai-Daisho would forever be haunted by the doctor’s words the morning after they returned to their castle. “There is nothing that can be done for Daisuke.” Silence was the only thing Kaneda could respond with as he maintained his stoic posture before the doctor and the guards who stood within the hallway. 

Kaneda entered Daisuke’s corners after the servants had finished tending to the boy. He stared at the miserable shell of his son; silently cursing himself for bringing him along at all. To be crippled on his first mission was a shame that Daisuke would never be able to live down.

“Daisuke, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen to you.”

They were empty words that could not reach Daisuke. The boy raised his hand to Kaneda’s sheathed katana, trembling before he spoke. “Please… I don’t want to live like this. It hurts. Everything, hurts.”

Kaneda knelt next to Daisuke and held his hand. “I cannot allow you to do that, you are my only son.” He was thankful for half of his face being concealed; he wouldn’t dare face Daisuke as an emotion wreck. “Is there anything that I can do for you? Anything that will bring you just a little bit of joy?”

Daisuke laid back down and stared blankly at the ceiling. “All I want is to spend the rest of my days within these walls in peace. And be able to help you in anyway I can with my literacy skills.” He forced himself to laugh even with tears welling up. “Good food would also be nice, so long as the harvest remains healthy.”

Moments later, Daisuke could no longer put any effort to hide his despair. “I’m sorry father, I went after their leader without thinking. Will my honor ever be restored?”

“In time it will, Daisuke. “

Even Kaneda knew there was nothing he could say to Daisuke that would ease his deep wounds. Anger ignited within Kaneda as he got further away from the quarters and showed no remorse when he pushed away a servant for being too close to him.

‘Kenta you bastard; how dare you do this to my son! I should’ve killed you after all.’ Having seen how Bankotsu turned out, Kaneda pushed aside the sleeping infant that he handed over to the villager. That boy was a man now and the furthest thing from innocent. 

Unphased by the freezing rain droplets pounding against Kaneda’s armor when he stepped foot in the courtyard, he stared at the gates with a vacant stare. He hardly noticed four dark figures on horseback coming through the walls with ease. He had known that the Shogun hired them from time to time, though he usually steered clear of them.

It was a rasping voice from one rider that snapped Kaneda from his lamenting daze. “Could it be that your heart craves revenge?”

The man dismounted. Nothing of his face was visible except for his red eyes that glowed underneath the hood of his outfit. Kaneda shuddered whenever he tried to imagine what the dark riders faces looked like; they more than likely did not look human. An unnamed fear had put Kaneda unease whenever he’d look into those crimson eyes. Not even the Band of Seven, despite their swift decimation of Kaneda’s supply base, could have invoked terror as this mysterious group of riders did.

Kaneda tried to avert his eyes from the rider. “What would be the point? They’re just lowlifes with nothing to lose except for their own lives; just as all sell swords do. Killing them would only anger them in the afterlife.”

“My Lord, there are more ways to enact vengeance outside of death.”

Kaneda scoffed. “I would love to do that, but I know next to nothing about them. All I know is that their leader is my illegitimate son.”

The rider put his hand on Kaneda’s chest, which was when it became apparent that there was no breathing coming from… whatever the rider was. 

“Disclose it to him… I’m sure the prospect of becoming a self-made orphan would terrify him.” 

Kaneda rolled his eyes. “You’re talking about a man who had no qualms killing his own adoptive mother in self defense. Plus, I have doubt he would exploit it for all its worth. I’d be the one who would be more vulnerable than him.”

“For a small price, I could gather more information on your behalf. There must be something that would bring him great despair if he lost it, which could be held against him for whatever ransom you desire.”

Kaneda sighed. “Do as you please.”


	19. Pestilence

Chapter 18

A summer choir of cicadas sung in the Yokai Taijiya Village that Narusegawa had once called her home in her childhood. Her obsidian stallion tensed up as he trotted past the open gates, snorting while swinging his head up and down. “Settle down, Kuroiji.” She said, knowing full well that the scent of Yokai corpses made Hanyou stallion uneasy. 

Once the gates closed, Narusegawa approached the village chieftain who was sitting on a wooden platform. “It is good to see you once more, Yoshie.”

“Don’t call me by that name. I abandoned it long ago.” She hissed through her metal mask covering her mouth. She dismounted from the stallion and held on to his reins while standing before the chief.

“My apologies, Lady Narusegawa. Now then, what brings you back to our humble village at a time like this? A Daimyo of your calibre shouldn’t concern herself with us.” The chief said. “Is there an infestation of lowly Yokai you’d like us to exterminate for you in your land?”

She shook her head. “No but thank you for the offer. I came here to warn you that there may be warfare not too far from here. “

A tan two tailed cat hopped out from inside the chief’s home, mewing as soon as she laid eyes on Narusegawa. “Oh Kirara, it’s good to see that you haven’t changed one bit.” Kirara jumped onto Narusegawa’s shoulder, purring while rubbing her muzzle against the hardened warrior’s cheek. 

“I wouldn’t have imagined that you’d ever become a Daimyo after leaving the village. It seems like just yesterday you were an insecure novice Taijiya.” The chief laughed. “Those were the good days.”

Narusegawa crossed her arms. “Indulging in nostalgia is for the weak… isn’t that what Master Shoko used to say?”

The chief nodded. “Indeed, he did. Everyday I find myself wishing that father was still alive to see how much we are prospering now, despite the wars.” He paused when a petite girl dressed in a magenta kosode and green mo-bakama approached him. “You’ve been gone from the village for so long that you missed out on the birth of my daughter, Sango.”

Looking over Sango had shattered Narusegawa’s heart. She thought that she had gotten over her heartbreak of being rejected by the chief well over fifteen years ago… yet, the old wounds were reopened. She closed her eye to regain her composure. ‘I’m above that now.’ 

Sango tip toed towards Narusegawa, with a look of horror and fascination in her eyes. “Um Miss… how did you lose your eye?”

“Sango, that’s a very rude question to ask!” The chief said. 

Narusegawa wished that the chief could see her big grin. “I’m not offended at all; she just wants to know about my old injury.” She handed the reins to the chief and then knelt before Sango. “So, you want to know how I lost my eye?”

Slowly, Sango nodded.

“Long ago, I was a Taijiya living in this village… just like you. I was about sixteen when I went into a deep cave where a group of Yokai had been ravaging women; both old and young. I was overwhelmed with anger and started to slaughter every single one in sight, without realizing how much danger I had been putting my comrades in.” Old sorrow crept up on Narusegawa. “Within an indeterminate amount of time, I ended up being the last of the slayers standing before they attempted to do to me as they did to the village women. However, I wasn’t having it.”

Narusegawa’s breathing became laboured as she recalled the ways in which her armor was stripped from her. “And then, I realized too late that one of my friends was still alive and was witnessing the violation. My strength returned as I picked up the biggest weapon, I could find to help him, despite my state. While I regained my strength, he was losing his, so I resolved to save him. But then… I was pinned down by two of them, with a claw gouging my eye out.”

She pointed to her closed left eye. “The last thing I ever saw from this eye was my comrade being shredded. It now serves as a reminder to not charge into battle head on, lest I lose more than an eye.”

Sango was clinging to her father’s arm, trembling with each passing word that Narusegawa said. The chief looked over to his daughter and then glared at Narusegawa. “Stop it, you’re scaring her! I don’t want her to become more terrified of fighting Yokai than she already is.”

“Caution is healthy when approaching Yokai, especially when they’re in swarms. There is no room for weakness in the business of war, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Sango stared at the Daimyo, with only fear now. 

\----------------------------------

A lone orange leaf breezed past Bankotsu, circling with the wind. It was almost a strange sight to behold amid the destruction that he and his mercenaries had caused for an unlucky Daimyo that day. “Huh, I didn’t expect to see an orange leaf this early.” Bankotsu said, snatching the leaf before it had the chance to flee from his sights. 

Renkotsu stared at the leaf. “I wonder how much this will impact the harvests in this incoming autumn. I fear the worst for them.”

“Why should we care about some farmers?” Jakotsu said with a shrug. 

Renkotsu patted Jakotsu’s head. “Because if they impacted particularly hard, then we won’t be able to buy a whole lot of food in the future. Therefore, if they cannot produce food then even some lowly mercenaries such as we will starve in the long run.”

“Oh, now that you put it that way, they are important. Huh, I almost feel guilty for destroying farmlands.”

“Quit being dramatic, it’s too early to tell if it will even get that bad.” Suikotsu said, watching the fortress as it crumbled with a satisfied smile.

Bankotsu had forgotten how quickly time passed whenever they’d travel from province to province, wandering through whatever battlefield they were hired to fight in. Most of the skirmishes were settled with a single swing of Bankotsu’s zanbato. Slowly, he started to grow annoyed with how brief the assignments were. He wasn’t sure if the soldiers were becoming less skilled over time or if he was beginning to get too strong.

Ever since Bankotsu had battled with Hanzo, there was none that could compare. In a twisted way, he wished that he hadn’t allowed Hanzo to bleed to death- instead, he wished that the general would return from the grave seeking vengeance. 

Out of boredom, he began to count how many heads he could sever in a clean swipe as the trees started to lose their emerald splendor. While his literacy skills paled in comparison to Renkotsu, he did have a decent enough grasp on basic mathematics to carry out what would have otherwise been a tedious task. Bankotsu saw it as a mini conquest, at first settling for one hundred. Then two hundred. Soon enough, he set his sets on one thousands as soon as he hit the five hundred part.

It was as the jobs of the southern provinces dried up that the Band of Seven decided to return west, with the first bite of the autumn winds nipping against their faces. By the time they reached their old fortress that they chose to make use of the cloaks they purchased from the Nanban. 

“Aw man, I hate how weird this scarf feels.” Jakotsu whined as he wrapped the Murasaki scarf around his neck, shivering from the cold. Bankotsu rolled his eyes--- he figured that Jakotsu was complaining about it for the sake of it.

Bankotsu motioned for Jakotsu to follow him to where the Nanban market was while the others remained at the fortress. At this time of year, the Nanban had long since returned to Portugal and in its place were local markets where farmers had gathered their harvest to sell. 

However, Bankotsu soon realized that there was something abnormal about this year’s harvest- there was half the number of vendors and the produce wasn’t as visually pleasing. “What’s going on?” He asked one vendor as he purchased a tonjiki to split with Jakotsu. 

“It seems like the pests have ravaged much of our crops this year.” The vendor said, sighing sorrowfully. “The heat throughout the year didn’t help much either.”

Bankotsu looked around and caught sight of a miserable rice field at a distance. “You don’t say…” He walked away after handing the Ryo over to the vendor and joined Jakotsu in staring at the ocean. 

“Oh man, Renkotsu was right about the harvest being affected by an early fall. It gives me the creeps.” Jakotsu shuddered before he finished his rice ball. “Does this mean we’re going to starve to death?”

Bankotsu shook his head before finishing his half of the tonjiki. “Hell no, it just means we need to hunt boars or something. Personally, I find them to be a pain in the ass to hunt.” He just started to remember his close calls with death in his childhood—how a single misfire had almost led to him getting mauled to death by a wild one until his mother had intervened to finish the creature off. 

Just when he thought he had ‘gotten over it’, he realized how much he still missed his mother and found himself wishing that she hadn’t passed away. Before becoming a monster, she had the kindest disposition despite her overindulgence in sake. Just one look at her gentle face would reveal how she could never hurt another person without reason.

‘That same gentle demeanor Sayaka has…’

He stopped himself before digging deeper into his thoughts any further. ‘No… no… nope!’ She was just another passing lover as far as he was concerned; he’d never wish any ill on her, but he couldn’t see himself with her for any long period of time. ‘She’s too good for me anyway; I’d just be a huge liability to her. She’d be better off with some young Daimyo….’ 

Although he said that to himself, he resented the thought of her being with another man- much less a Daimyo. It was only when he pictured himself as the Daimyo did, he find relief in his self-inflicted anger. 

“Maybe I should aspire to become a Daimyo…” Bankotsu said under his breath. Having heard his words, Jakotsu burst out into a fit of laughter. “Hey, what’s so funny?!”

“You… a Daimyo?! No offense, but I think you’d be terrible at it. I mean first; can you defend any territory while training an entire army?”

“Hey, I was able to assemble a group of mercenaries to do the work of a hundred without any problems—just imagine what I could accomplish with seven hundred men at my disposal! Oh man, at that rate I could probably overthrow every shogun in the land and remove the weak ass Emperor we never hear anything from.” Bankotsu stood up straight and puffed out his chest. “Then I can make Renkotsu the Emperor of this land. Then we’ll conquer the land of the Nanban… which I think they called Europa or something… and after that, I’ll declare myself emperor of those lands. My name will strike fear and admiration everywhere.”

Jakotsu stopped laughing and frowned. “Now you’re going way over your head. Maybe you just focus on becoming a Daimyo for now.”

“Yeah, yeah I know- baby steps. Either way, I think it’s a good thing to aspire for greatness.” Bankotsu tightened his grip on his zanbato. His prideful smirk remained as he spotted a group of men in their white armor and approached them. “Yo, remember me?”

One soldier peered over to Bankotsu, interrupting their conversation. “Oh! It’s been a while, Bankotsu. Where have you been?”

“Me and the boys have been down south wandering from one battlefield to the next.” Bankotsu said, smirking still. “What’s been going on back at Narusegawa’s abode? Is there anyone you need me to eliminate for you guys?”

The samurai shook his head. “I’m afraid the enemy haunting us isn’t one you can fight with a blade. We’ve been dealing with an illness within castle grounds.”

Bankotsu’s face shifted into a frown as he listened to their words. “An illness, huh? Well it is that time of year when people get sick. You’ll be fine as long as you can afford a doctor.” The men all looked away from Bankotsu in unison before looking back over to his direction. Judging from their concerned expressions, Bankotsu’s heart raced as he tried to piece together the words that were unspoken. 

“We thought the same thing as well… at least for a while. But when she started to cough up blood, it was when I knew that not only would she face her end soon… but potentially all of us who were near her. Yet, I held on to hope that it was just a cold… until she collapsed.”

The color drained from Bankotsu’s face and his eyes widened. “Who collapsed?” Deep inside he knew the answer; for the first time in his life he was desperate to be wrong. “Answer me! Who collapsed?!”

“Lady Sayaka.”


	20. Disciple of Naraku

Chapter 19

Sayaka opened her eyes to the sound of hollering from the courtyard. She couldn’t make out what the people were saying, nor did she care to find out. Damp bandages concealed her sore covered her arms. The sheets provided her with no comfort regardless if they were on or off; it would either get too hot or too cold. 

She would’ve liked to at least be able to have the Hanyou child by her side; however, it was impossible since Aiyuki was chased off by the guards. It angered Sayaka how quickly the guards were to disregard the orphan as soon as she wasn’t aware to defend the child. 

She placed a hand over her chest and silently writhed as the burning within refused to cease. ‘My chest feels even worse today…’ 

Just as she had drifted into yet another fit of coughing, she grabbed a white cloth and allowed it to be dyed red. She prayed that death would be a gentleman and put an end to the unbearable pain surging through her body. 

“No, you mustn’t go in there—you’ll be a goner.”

“I don’t care, let me see her!”

Her heart fluttered at the sound of Bankotsu’s voice right before he slid the door open. “Sayaka!” Caution, disbelief and sorrow all seemed to crash down onto Bankotsu as he knelt beside her. Sayaka mustered up enough strength to sit up. 

“It’s good to see you so soon. I thought for sure you’d be out on a conquest by now.” She said before allowing herself to collapse back onto the cho-dai. It was then, she realized that Bankotsu was staring at the blood-stained cloth. 

“What is going on with you?” Bankotsu put the back of his palm against Sayaka’s forehead. “You’re really warm.”

“I’m just feeling a little lightheaded is all, don’t worry too much about me.”

Bankotsu moved his hand away from her and shot a glare at her. “I’m going to worry about you regardless of how serious it is!” 

His words of comfort went to waste as Sayaka started to cough once more; and her every breath following that fit became laboured. “Oh Sayaka… don’t tell me you’re succumbing to this disease.”

“It’s been slowly coming on for a few months now, since before you rescued me.” She said, wheezing between every word while tears streamed down her face. “I don’t know how long I can hold on for. Every inch of my body screams in agony and each breath stings like hundreds of wasps.”

He pulled her into an embrace, allowing her to rest her head against his chest. Then an idea sprung into his head. “I can ask Suikotsu to treat you… you know, the guy with the claws who hangs out with me? He’s also a doctor!” 

“Don’t trouble yourself.” She didn’t like the thought of anyone ever going out of their way for her more than they have to; as far as she was concerned, Bankotsu was the last person she’d want to potentially put his life on the line for her sake once more. He had already done more than enough for her. He broke the embrace and allowed her to go back to laying down once more.

Bankotsu patted her head before standing back up. “If I must destroy entire provinces just to find a cure, then so be it. Until then, you better be fighting with every fibre of your being to stay alive.”

Sayaka nodded and watched as Bankotsu rushed out of the room. She raised her hand, as if she were trying to reach him. ‘No, don’t go yet! It’s really lonely in here.’ Once more, streams crawled down her face. ‘Oh gods, please don’t leave me here alone!’

\-----------------------

“It’s not fair… why do they always chase me out in the end?” Aiyuki whispered to herself, staring at the castle from a distance. Just when she learned Sayaka’s name, the only woman who soothed her wicked heart, she had to become deathly ill. She hadn’t even been there for long either. 

Her eyes were still swollen from crying herself to sleep. She refused to exit from the forest, having sill wished to return as soon as Sayaka was well again. 

Aiyuki approached the gates once she worked up the courage. None of her “friends” were around, for she hadn’t summoned them yet- though she felt it might be warranted if the guards continued their aggression towards her. 

A thick fog gradually engulfed the forest around Aiyuki. It wasn’t anything that concerned her right away as she fixated her gaze onto Bankotsu, who quietly walked past her with a somber expression and kept the handle of his zanbato rested on to his shoulder.

‘Isn’t he that mercenary Lady Sayaka is infatuated with?’

The temptation to shout out to him was powerful, but an unnamed dread from within her heart stopped her from doing so. He was possibly the least willing to entertain her currently. What was going through his head? Aiyuki was curious but was not prepared to deal with another confrontational human.

After some time, he seemed to disappear within the fog as it got thicker. 

Aiyuki desperately wanted to follow, yet there was a deep dread stopping her; the mercenary didn’t seem to be very approachable- there was no telling if he would cut her down where she stood. ‘If Lady Sayaka likes him… then maybe he’s a good person?’ Aiyuki walked into the fog and started to look for him. 

Regardless if he were to get aggressive with her, any acknowledgement of her existence would suffice. Echoes of the monsters within the forest did nothing to dissuade Aiyuki; if anything, she worried more for the mercenary. 

The deeper within the fog she went in, the more she sunk into despair. In her pursuit, she tripped over the exposed root of a tree.

‘There is no one left…’

‘No one…’ 

‘First mama collapsed in the snow, and then everyone turned their backs on me… just when I thought that Sayaka would be here for me, she gets sick and I’m chased out.’

‘It’s not fair.’

Without realizing it, her face was stained by her enraged tears as she screamed out to the forest. Memories of her unresponsive mother in the frigid winter night would not leave her, flooding her with the emotions she thought she was able to repress. 

Four crows, with three eyes each, stared at the lost child from the comfort of the branches; letting out an echoing caw to remind her of their presence no matter how much further she got away from them. Even if they wouldn’t do anything to her- she had seen how they turn people into walking corpses. 

Soon enough, the crows could no longer be ignored as they flew past her and dove within the fog. The three of them flew in circles until darkness appeared. Amid the imposing forest, a shadowy figure concealed by the darkness loomed over Aiyuki. All she could see of its face were the unblinking, crimson eyes piercing through the fog. “You, whose heart cries out in despair.” He said. As he approached Aiyuki, she could make out the vague form of a Sohei dressed in all black.

“Who are you?!” Aiyuki flinched and backed away from the monster. 

“I am Yuzuru, a mere loyal disciple of Naraku and speaker of the crows.”

Aiyuki froze. ‘Naraku…’ She heard that name in passing, as spoken by monks. Although there had been very little activity from the enigmatic Yokai, it still was a name to make any creature in the lands shiver with fear. 

“Rejected by mankind and Daiyoukai alike, it is easy for a Hanyou to feel as though they have no place in this wretched land ruined by warfare.” A bright light appeared before Aiyuki. “That is a lie, Hanyou do have a place in this world among the likes of Naraku—he who offers the path of salvation should you pledge your loyalty to him, for he too is only half Yokai.”

The light soon formed into a transparent pearl and gently floated in midair as Aiyuki stared with curious admiration. “Before you are a mere replica of an artifact, one which is highly sought after by mortal and Yokai alike for power. The real Shikon no Tama disappeared from this world forty years ago, along with the corpse of its guardian.”

Aiyuki grabbed the pearl. 

“With a series of sacrifices offered to this item, you will be able to temporarily reach your full potential and unleash your wrath onto the mortals who have persecuted you. You must keep offering it more souls if you wish to unleash the dragon within. Once it has enough, you then can ascend above the heavens and create a world for Hanyou.”

Aiyuki stared at the pearl without blinking. ‘A world for someone likes me?’ She was about to thank Yuzuru but was stopped by the fact that the fog had completely disappeared, and no one was around. The castle remained in sight.

‘I wonder if I can have Lady Sayaka be part of the new world…’ 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

It was at the edge of the forest where Bankotsu had seen all his comrades standing there, waiting for him. Their faces did not possess any vigor or will to enter battle as they always did. Bankotsu realized at that moment that he had done nothing to cover his sorrows.

In frustration, Bankotsu impaled the soil beneath him and avoided eye contact with the others. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold himself together without any further emotional outbursts; he certainly didn’t want to be as uncouth as the Nanban. Renkotsu stepped forward and held his hand out towards Bankotsu. 

“Jakotsu said that you rushed over to Narusegawa’s castle… what happened?”

Bankotsu tightened his grip on his zanbato, still unwilling to face Renkotsu while the skies got progressively greyer by the second. “I wish to be left alone, if you don’t mind.” In that moment, it was as though Renkotsu knew to give the que to the others to leave the area for a bit—only urging Jakotsu to remain behind. Out of all the members, Jakotsu and Renkotsu were the most likely to be able to reason with Bankotsu.

Even so, Ginkotsu and Suikotsu still watched the events unfurl before them at a distance. 

Jakotsu stepped forward and almost placed a hand on to Bankotsu’s shoulder, only to be brushed off. “Well excuse me, Big Brother! I’d like to know why you went and ran like a madman.”

A heavy stream of rain started to pour from the heavens above. “I’d rather not drag you guys into my problems.” Bankotsu finally confessed, still refusing to face any of them. “Go carry out some missions without me while I try to find a way to cure her.”

By ‘her’, Renkotsu picked up on who his leader was referring to. “I cannot speak for the others, but I’d be willing to assist you in times like these.” Renkotsu said as he walked over to Bankotsu’s side. “Even if it’s incurable, then we potentially discover a cure.”

Bankotsu pulled out the zanbato from the ground and wiped his tears. “I don’t know, it would get in the way of making profits.”

Jakotsu laughed. “We can still make money from this; we just need to uhm…” he paused and then looked over to Renkotsu. “Wait a second, Big Brother does raise a good point; this will get in our way.”

“Just imagine how much we could profit from a cure to an incurable disease; even the Emperor would pay good money for it should any of his family catch it.” Renkotsu said, shooting a proud grin Jakotsu’s way. “We’ve got a poison master and a doctor at our disposal, after all.”

Jakotsu could hardly contain himself as he jumped for joy. “Oh, we’ll be rich!”

All Bankotsu could do was force himself to laugh. “Then I guess this means we’ll have to work twice as hard.”


	21. Unlikely Alliance

Chapter 20

“Did you come here to mock me, Kaneda?” 

Lightening flickered outside as the thunder roared. Kaneda stopped in his tracks just after sliding the door open to face O-Yakata, as he was simply called; the lord who was now assigned to oversee the general and his army as per request of the Shogunate. 

“Answer me, Kaneda. Did you come here to mock me?”

Kaneda gulped and tried to conceal his nervousness as best as he could. He heard tales of the man’s power trips. There was no predicting how this man would behave; especially without knowing what it was that Kaneda did to bring out the anger from O-Yakata.

“I beg your pardon sir, I’m not aware of anything that I have done to provoke your ire.”

Those words did nothing to soothe O-Yakata, except provoke him to slam his fist against the wooden railing of the castle platform that he stood on while watching the storm. “The Shogun told me that you are the father of the sell sword whom my granddaughter has become smitten with.”

“Defiled your granddaughter? I don’t think I recall hearing anything about that.” Kaneda said, joining O-Yakata on the wooden platform. “I’m also afraid that I have nothing to do with my distant son’s actions.”

O-Yakata grabbed on to the railing and dug his nails into the red paint. “That isn’t all. You have also created tensions with that Daimyo who has taken my granddaughter under her wing. Do you realize that if not for her sending out the Band of Seven my precious Sayaka would most likely have become a casualty?”

“Sayaka…?”

“Yes, Hitomi Sayaka. She is the last descendant I have from my youngest daughter. The same one you almost killed.” O-Yakata sighed. “It wasn’t enough that Hanzo was killed by that son of yours, but now you put Sayaka in danger with your recklessness. I cannot accept that!” 

“Once again, I apologize.”

“What good is apologizing at this point? I have written to her numerous times, begging her to come here instead… but that blasted son of yours is holding her back!”

Kaneda stomped his foot. “My Lord, I have no control over the actions of a son I had no hand in raising. He may as well be dead to me!” 

“Then deal with him without involving Narusegawa- for she is the one I fear more than the Band of Seven. Otherwise, I cannot forgive you.” Kaneda then left O-Yakata’s side without another word. No matter how much he tried to avoid the subject, he couldn’t help but curse himself for getting involved with that warlord’s half Ezo daughter—an affair which still haunted him. 

‘Are you mocking me from the grave, Ayai? Is this my thanks for saving our son from certain death when he couldn’t defend himself?’

Slowly, he started to resent his younger self.

\----------------------------

Bankotsu stood under a shrine with his merry band of mercenaries; apart from Kyokotsu who stood under the trees. He leaned against the wall, with his arms crossed and stared at the vast murky world beyond the temple. There was no end to the shivering early autumn rain. Despite the rain, Bankotsu couldn’t help but indulge in the relaxing melody of the droplets bouncing off the temple roof and watched other people scramble to get back to their homes as they got caught in the shower. He then closed his eyes.

It was Suikotsu who broke the silence. “So, I take it we’re going on a really long adventure to find the cure to that noblewoman’s illness?” Bankotsu nodded in response. “And this will benefit us, how?”

Bankotsu opened his eyes and looked over to Suikotsu. “Just think about how much nobles would be willing to pay for that cure; I’m sure even the Emperor would hand over most of his riches to us.” 

Suikotsu tilted his head. “Wait a second, we actually have an Emperor? I thought that it was the Shogun and Daimyo who ruled over us. What the hell is the Emperor there for if not to lay down the laws of the land?”

“The Emperor is a joke; there’s a reason you never hear a word from him. I only just recently heard that his name is Emperor Go-Nara.” Renkotsu said after taking the long thin blade of grass out of his mouth. “In my opinion, he is nothing more than a shadow of the great era of when nobility ruled this country. From what I’ve read about that bygone era, it sounded peaceful.”

Jakotsu leaned against Suikotsu and nodded. “I will admit that from the image I’ve seen I’m quite envious of how the imperial court women dressed back then. People were so pretty back then.”

“Gersh, don’t fall for that idealized image of those times.” Ginkotsu hissed as he joined Bankotsu in staring at the heavy rainfall. “Those nobles would still toss us aside, since we are nothing more than insects to them.”

Renkotsu nodded. “But there was more order back then. At least the less fortunate could rely on the great white dog to protect them from the swarms of Yokai back then.”

Bankotsu’s interest was piqued and he looked over to Renkotsu. “Great white dog?”

“Yes. My master once told me about a Daiyoukai who once protected the people in his home province during the nobility rule. Most of the time he walked among the people as a man with long silver hair; but when danger struck, he would turn into a giant white beast and fend off any Daiyoukai who posed a threat to the people.” Renkotsu paused. “For almost two hundred years he kept that province safe… but then sixty-seven years ago he disappeared after a fight with a fearsome dragon.”

“In many ways, he kept the province united under his protection even as the civil wars kept breaking out throughout the country as the Daimyo started quarreling for land.” Renkotsu took his bandana off, revealing the black hair that was growing underneath for some time. “I suppose order is something that humanity craves at the end of the day.”

Suikotsu then walked over towards Bankotsu, eyes widened. “I just got a crazy idea that might work.”

“Spill it out then!” Bankotsu said. “I’m willing to try anything at this point.”

“You know how people can extract opium from poppies, right?” Bankotsu slowly nodded as Suikotsu spoke. “I’ve heard of an island, near Mt. Hakurei, where violet poppies that have been blessed by the holy aura of Saint Hakushin. It’s called Hijiri Island. If we can fetch an empty wagon and something to store all the poppies once we pick them, we might be able to find a doctor to extract the opium out of them. It is said that the holy aura accelerates healing, so we might have a chance to save her.”

Bankotsu blinked and then put his hands on Suikotsu’s shoulders. “You know what? I think that will work, no matter how nuts it sounds.” He looked over to the rest. “Hey, once this rain eases up let’s get back to the base and see if we have anything to work with.”

Renkotsu rubbed his chin. “We do have an unused wagon… give me a day or two and I can modify it so that I can put a roof over it to protect the supplies as we move. I can also drill holes into the sides that will be big enough for a barrel to poke through in case we run into bandits trying to steal the poppies from us on our way back. I’ll need to get two horses so that we can move the cart quicker out of danger.”

With every passing word spoken by Renkotsu, everyone’s faces started to light up with excitement. Bankotsu grabbed the handle of his zanbato and pulled it away from the wall of the temple. “How many firearms do we have?”

Renkotsu gave Bankotsu a devilish grin. “More than enough to defend the supplies sufficiently. I can head over to the market with Jakotsu right now to purchase a couple of horses, if you’d like.”

“Alright, sounds good to me. Make sure to get the strongest ones you can find.”

Just as the rain started to ease up, samurai in silver and white armor approached the temple. “Bankotsu! Thank goodness it’s you, we were looking all over for you!”

Bankotsu cocked his brow. “What do you need me for?”

“We wanted to warn you to not go near the Lady because you could get sick as well… but it seems as though you’ve already visited her.” 

“Then so be it, we got more reason to head right on over to Hijiri Island; after we get our war wagon built.” Bankotsu said, watching as the rain came to a sudden halt and welcomed the autumn sun. “We’re going to see if those poppies can heal her illness.”

The two samurai looked at each other, nodded, and then back at Bankotsu. “Would you like our division to help you? There’s only a hundred of us left, but we are more than willing to put our lives on the line if it gives us even a little bit of hope to save our own families from the disease which is rampaging through poorer districts.”

“We will lend you our strength! Give us a few hours and we can assemble by morning.”

Bankotsu was speechless. Until now, the thought of overseeing anymore than six people would have been nothing short of a pipedream- yet here were two dignified samurai bowing their heads and offering to assist a sell sword who the nobles looked down upon. 

“Are you sure Narusegawa will be alright?” Bankotsu only asked because he was concerned about Narusegawa’s reaction to what would almost amount to betrayal. 

“Our alliance with her forces is fleeting at best, for we are serving Lady Sayaka as per the late Akihiko’s wishes. I have enough confidence in Narusegawa that she will come to understand our desire to save the people we love.” 

“Alright, meet us at our base of operations before sunrise and we will all make way to Hijiri island. You do remember where it is, do you?” Both samurai nodded in unison. “Great; make sure to tell your men to bring the usual supplies and at least two addition wagons so we can shield the injured if it comes down to that.”

“You’ve got our word, fine sir.” The samurai waved before hopping back on to their horses and galloped away with youthful energy. 

“Come on, let’s get back to the base.”

Renkotsu poked Jakotsu. “Come on, let’s go get the horses.”

Jakotsu frowned. “You know I’m no good with handling horses; why doesn’t Bankotsu do it?”

“Because I have other things to do right now. The sooner you get it over with, the sooner we can make the needed preparations.” Bankotsu patted Jakotsu’s back. “I promise to let you name them this time if you come back with them.”

Jakotsu chuckled. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind as we grab them. Come on Renkotsu, let’s go.” He said, gripping on Renkotsu’s sleeve as they made their way out of the temple. “It’ll be a fun adventure ahead.”

\------------------------------------------------

Sayaka concealed herself under the sheets as her chest burned. The curtains shielded her from the glaring sunlight that would only have given her a headache. Every inch of her body ached. Before it hit her, she was already bothered by a consistent dull ache in her abdomen and consumed by fatigue for weeks on end—but at least that was on and off and didn’t affect her enjoyment of the summer months.

‘Is this how it all ends? Dying alone, in the darkness? I guess it is preferable to having been killed by Hanzo eventually; but somehow, this isn’t much better.’ 

She tried to push that thought aside--- it was better than whatever Hanzo would’ve had in store for her if she were in his grasp for much longer. ‘What a horrible thing to think! Aren’t you grateful that you were saved at all?!’ 

‘What do I have to show for my freedom? I have been nothing but a burden on everyone around me. They’re better off to abandon me while they can. It’s why I’m pathetic and weak. Maybe if I die, no one will worry about me anymore.’

‘I’m sorry… Narusegawa. You’ve been good to me and I repay you by getting sick.’

She could almost feel Hanzo looming over her, repeating every thought which crossed her mind. Sayaka could even hear his condescending sneers in the darkness. “Was it worth it run off with him, Sayaka? That sell sword doesn’t even care enough about you to stay by your side at death’s gate, as I would have.” Hanzo would say if he could speak. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door slide open, and the heavy footsteps from Narusegawa as she walked into the room. “Has the medicine helped ease your coughing?” The Daimyo asked.

“Yes, but my chest and throat still burn.” Sayaka replied, sitting up as she tried to converse with Narusegawa. 

“I’m glad.”

Sayaka leaned her head against the wall, trying to maintain balance. “What happened to the Hanyou child? I haven’t heard her voice since I was forbidden from leaving this side of the castle.” There was no answer from Narusegawa; which only reinforced what Sayaka already knew.


	22. Onwards to Hijiri Island

Chapter 21 

The market was much quieter than Jakotsu expected it to be which was fine with him as he wasn’t in the mood to exchange very many words that day.

Jakotsu raced down the dirt road with an obsidian mare, with the enthusiasm as a child as their base appeared well over the horizon. “Hurry up Renkotsu, unless you wish to carry the supplies by hand.”

From the edge of the forest, Renkotsu walked towards Jakotsu while leading a chestnut horse. Both stocky horses rivalled Renkotsu in height, which came as a pleasant surprise when he came to the market to even find horses in that size. The biggest selling point was not their size, but their relaxed temperament as well. 

“I’ll need to adjust the harnesses before sunset. Mind taking them to the corral?” Renkotsu handed the lead rope over to Jakotsu. A scowl crawled onto Jakotsu’s face as Renkotsu fled to the fortress as soon as he took the rope from him.

“Oh, come on, you know that I’m no good with horses. There’s a reason I always preferred being on foot.” The black mare nudged against Jakotsu’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t you start with me.” The first frigid winds of the year caught Jakotsu by surprise. The horses kept trying to grasp at every opportunity to graze on the grass, going as far as to yank their heads away from Jakotsu in their vain attempts. 

“Stop it!” Jakotsu sneered, constantly finding himself pulling the leads while fighting the urge to hit them- he didn’t want them to go running off on him. At the same time, he knew that when it came down to it that he wouldn’t win in a tug o war with them either--- it was then he wished that it was Bankotsu who came with him to the market instead of Renkotsu. At least Bankotsu was strong enough to not be dragged by two draught horses. 

It was then, at the end of the road, as if fortune smiled on Jakotsu as he moved towards the base and saw Suikotsu leaning against a tree with a blade of grass in his mouth; his clawed gloves nowhere to be seen. “Hey Suikotsu, there you are!” 

Suikotsu opened an eye and then lazily turned to make eye contact with Jakotsu. “You’re back already?” Jakotsu nodded. “It doesn’t seem like you’re too comfortable leading two at the same time. Want me to take one off your hands?”

The interaction had gone exactly as Jakotsu predicted it would, and he nodded while handing one of the leads over to Suikotsu. “Thank you very much Suikotsu, you’re such a gentleman sometimes.” 

Suikotsu’s face turned crimson. “It’s nothing, really.”

\--------------------------------------

One of the samurai walked up to Bankotsu while leading a magnificent light grey stallion in traditional gold and red tack, strutting like a steed from legends. “Good sir, I have taken the liberty to bring you an old friend of yours. Do you remember him?”

Bankotsu eyed up the horse and shook his head. “It escapes me.” The stallion nickered as he nuzzled Bankotsu. 

“Huh? But he was the horse who lent you his back when you fought against Hanzo last winter!” The samurai handed the reins over. “I think it would be best if you were to bring him with you on this next journey, and then keep him if you wish to. You won’t regret taking him with you; he’s a descendant of the thunder horses that once roamed the north.”

Bankotsu brushed the horse’s forelock away from the eyes. “No offense, but I prefer being on foot. It’s hard to ride while using Banryu in combat… and it’s also difficult to ride when I don’t have anything to hold it in place.”

Another soldier approached with an unusual item, a leather sling with two chain straps dangling from two hooks. “We commissioned the Nanban to design this with your zanbato in mind. We neglected to give it to your multiple times.”

Bankotsu looked it over. “This is weird looking; I don’t even know where to start with figuring out how to put it on.”

“Well, according to the illustrations from the Nanban… their warriors would have it put it on like a sling of sorts. It should stay in place once you figure out how to make the chains hold it in place.” 

It took a while for Bankotsu to figure out not only the most comfortable way to put it on, but to also get the chains around Banryu without it breaking the harness. He silently lamented over not being able to draw it as quickly as he’d like, but at least it would be more comfortable to carry while horseback riding long distance. 

After figuring out the sling, he looked over Akihiko’s horse. “Does he have a name?”

The samurai shook his head. “Lord Akihiko never saw it fit to ever name his war horses, because he didn’t want to get attached to them in the event they should die. However, this one has seen enough battles to warrant a name.”

“Raiu is then.” Bankotsu took the reins. “Why don’t we test you out- just to see if you can still bear the weight of Banryu with me?”

Raiu proved himself to be remarkably patient as Bankotsu tried numerous times to use the nearest tree trunk to climb onto the horse’s back. There were a couple of times he was afraid that his zanbato would detach and slice into the stallion’s flesh—luckily, that anxiety died down once had a firm grip on the saddle and pulled himself up. Until this point, he had forgotten how tall Raiu was. 

It only took a light tap for Raiu to start walking before transitioning into a trot. Raiu was indeed as swift as the legendary thunder horses were said to have been it was remarkable how outside of battle, the stallion could remain composed even with the weight of both his rider and Banryu.

‘I remember how badly I wanted to ride a thunder horse when I was a kid. Look where we are now; had I known that I’d eventually get to ride one of their descendants, I would’ve gotten into this business much sooner.’ 

Bankotsu briefly caught a glimpse on Renkotsu’s latest project: the war wagon, armed with two canons that would fire above the horses. He briefly caught sight of Renkotsu filling the side of the wagon with mortar shells that could release many explosive projectiles. Ginkotsu was assisting Renkotsu in the best way possible, despite having his armor stripped off and wearing just a hakama tied with an obi. Seeing Ginkotsu stripped of his armor and add-ons would always be surreal for Bankotsu to see, no matter how many times he has seen it. ‘You must be happy that you finally get an excuse to build something new.’ 

There was a bit of childish giddiness on Renkotsu’s face as he seemed to be explaining every function to the curious by standing samurai. Ginkotsu on the other hand was rolling his eyes until Jakotsu and Suikotsu arrived with the two mares bought earlier.

‘Let’s go to the nearest village and see what they’re up to.’

With a light tap, the stallion cantered through the forest and was brought back down to a trot once the first sign of civilization could be seen. 

What he thought would be a pleasant stride would come to a halt, as he soon realized just how empty the village was. Normally he didn’t care about the affairs of villagers- he had destroyed a fair number of them in his lifetime. Yet, he couldn’t shake off the eeriness of it all. When untouched, villagers would be at least tending to the rice fields that were not being tended to.

He allowed Raiu to stride through the village, moving forward with caution rather than fear. Raiu passed by the worn-down rows of Minka. At first Bankotsu tried to push aside the unsettling atmosphere in favour of trying to relax, until an elderly woman stumbled out from her Minka; wheezing with every breath as she gave Bankotsu a bewildered stare. “I cannot bear to wither away in the darkness any longer! Please, let me tend to the fields so that I have something to ease my mind.”

Within moments, all the villagers had left their Minka and were armed with their farming equipment. “Go back inside or there will be hell for you to pay.” The young man from earlier shouted. “Narusegawa had ordered all villagers to stay sheltered until she can find a way to cure us all.” 

“You don’t understand, we will all starve to death if this keeps up.”

Without warning, the villagers surrounded the woman and started to whack her with their farming equipment while shouting profanities. By the time Bankotsu had the sense to intervene, the villagers back away from the old woman and watched her crawl back inside of her Minka. 

He was about to verbally chastise them until he heard the echoing of gurgling coughs coming from the inside of one of the Minkas. For a moment, he thought he could hear his mother once more in her final moments before she transformed into a deformed one. 

“Are you from around here?” One of the villagers asked, looking no younger than Bankotsu did. Bankotsu shook his head in response. “Then you need to leave, lest you will be stricken with Shohi; just as our Daimyo’s diplomat and many others have.”

Shohi. Bankotsu knew that word all too well and had hoped that Sayaka just had a severe case of influenza. Hearing that word only confirmed his worst fear for the moment. It didn’t care for how old or young you were—nor did it care about class. Anyone could catch it and die; that much Bankotsu knew from his own experiences with an epidemic robbing him of his childhood more than any warlord or Yokai could hope to. 

“I’m sorry for disrupting Narusegawa’s orders.”

He didn’t like apologizing, yet Bankotsu understood full well that a sleeping village should be disturbed as little as possible if it were to have any chance to fight off a disease. The last thing he needed was to engage in any unnecessary combat before heading off to Hijiri Island; gods only know what battles awaited him on his way and back. 

Bankotsu rode back to the fortress, trying not to allow the events which unfolded before him make him more jaded than before.

\--------------------------------------

Three days had passed since the Band of Seven left their home base alongside Akihiko’s former army who formed a temporary alliance with them. They were only blessed with good weather on the first day of their journey, allowing for them to cover a considerable amount of land. By early morning on the second day, they were stuck trudging through another autumn rainfall. It was only their desire to reach Hijiri island which kept them going through the worst of the storm.

Renkotsu luckily had enough sense to have built a roof that could be swung open and closed whenever the elements would interfere with the functionality of his war wagon. It wasn’t until the third day when one samurai decided to be brave enough to ride beside the war wagon to ask Renkotsu everything about it to pass the time; something which the former Sohei was more than happy talk about for hours on end.

Bankotsu on the other hand kept an eye on Kyokotsu from time to time. Although he had scolded the titan time and time against for moving out of line, Bankotsu still had no faith in Kyokotsu to remain in place. Even still, he was impressed that Kyokotsu at least remained within eyesight. 

Raiu had proven himself to be as sturdy as he is beautiful and still full of energy on the third day. At times, Raiu would bring them both much further ahead than everyone else until Bankotsu would force him to halt.

It was halfway through the third day that Jakotsu caught sight of Mt. Hakurei at a distance. Even from afar, anyone could see the thick luscious vegetation which grew throughout the mountain. “What a lovely sight it is, wouldn’t you agree Bankotsu?” Renkotsu said as he threw sheets of fabric over the wagon after bringing the draught horses to a halt. “If I had known about it sooner, I think I would have settled down around here long ago.”

Nausea started to creep up on Bankotsu as he got closer to the mountain. He had begun to wonder if it would all be worth it

After setting up another temporary encampment, Bankotsu looked over the village from over the hill as the fog dissipated somewhat to give him a clear sight of the mountain which was much further than it appeared. 

‘Something about this place’s atmosphere is sickening. Whatever; the sooner I get this done, the quicker I can get back to Sayaka.’ He had forgone any denial at this point; he’d have gone the same lengths for his comrades… no, his brothers, whom he didn’t share parents with. 

Bankotsu couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was going to have to be aggressive with locals if he wanted access to that island; only the most clueless of villages would be willing to let total strangers march on any normal fields of poppies due to the value they carried. Ever since the nobles ruled centuries before, there was value placed on the poppies to kill pain on the spot.

“No matter how far you’re backed into a corner, remember to treasure those who are loyal to you and your conscious will always be clear. Protect them at all costs.”

Ryutaro’s words echoed through Bankotsu’s memories. It was all the justification he needed before he looked over towards his zanbato that was resting against a boulder and picked it up. He sighed and rested it against his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm not entirely sure if the aura surrounding Mt Hakurei would be powerful enough to at least cause mild nausea for our "heroes" but hey- I can't let them off too easily.


	23. Ruthless Leader

Chapter 22

Just outside of the borders of Narusegawa’s territory, a group of bandits were looting a charred village. “Aw man, looks like whatever value there was in this place would’ve gone up in flames.” One bandit said, sighing sorrowfully.

“Hey, look over there. There’s horses and oxen!”

The bandit looked up to see what it was that his companion was talking about. To his pleasant surprise, there were indeed horses and oxen wandering around the abandoned farmlands in search of their owners. “Ooh, we’re going to make a killing off these.”

It was too soon to celebrate the silver linings from the fires, the earth started to shake for what felt like a stampede of feral horses. Instead of a herd, all the bandits could see was a single black stallion that was much bigger than any bear in the country heading towards them.

“It’s Narusegawa!” One bandit shouted, getting up to run before being trampled by the stallion’s enormous hooves.

The stallion snorted. “Deal with them, Mao-Ouji.” Narusegawa said, allowing the stallion to charge at another bandit. He let out a powerful neigh before sinking his teeth onto the man’s shoulder and then tossing him aside like a dish rag.

“N-N-Narusegawa, please spare my life. I’ll be your most loyal servant!” The last of the bandits cried as he tried to get away from the approaching Daimyo. “Please don’t kill me.”

“You vermin aren’t even worthy enough to die by my horse.” Narusegawa shouted and kicked Mao-Ouji’s side. 

Shreds of the bandit’s brain were splattered along the pool of blood as Mao-Ouji crushed the man to death. “Tch, it didn’t take long for some low life gangs to try to take advantage of this dire situation.” Narusegawa muttered, lamenting over the Shohi epidemic sweeping through her territory of all places.   
‘I need to ensure that the villages within my borders are all safe, first and foremost. I can only be responsible for the lives within my border. It is my burden to carry as a Daimyo.’

\------------------------------------

“How do we get to Hijiri Island?” Was the first thing Bankotsu asked once he had made eye contact with a local. There didn’t seem to be any line of defence, so if needed he could use force as needed.

The villager glared at Bankotsu, having been interrupted from gathering kindle. “Give me one good reason as to why we should let an outsider set foot there? I doubt you even know anything about the island itself.”

“All I know is that if I can’t get any of the poppies that grow on that island, someone I care about is going to die! This is my only shot at saving her.” Bankotsu’s patience was already starting to thin out from this interaction with the local.

“That’s not our problem.”

Within a flash, the villager’s smug expression shifted into one of fear when Bankotsu suddenly grabbed his throat and started squeezing. “I guess your death won’t be my problem if you refuse to answer me. I’ll just find someone else to tell me how to get there.” 

The villager was kicking his feet in the air as he struggled to be freed of Bankotsu’s firm grip. Bankotsu dropped the man and then held the tip of his zanbato against the villager’s throat. “I can’t take you there, I swear! It’s forbidden to outsiders.”

“Ask me if I give a fuck.”

There was a crowd of terrified villagers gathering at a distance, watching on as Bankotsu continued to intimidate the man. He could hear their whispers of concern. He could easily kill them all in one fell swoop if need be- he had a feeling that they were just as aware of this fact as he was. 

“Tch, where’s your Daimyo at? If this place is so holy, you’d think he’d have at least a little bit of his military deployed. Or, does he think so little of you people that he wouldn’t miss this place if I were to burn it down with the army, that I’ve brought along with me?” Bankotsu gently pressed the tip against the man’s throat. Taunting this random villager was allowing Bankotsu to let off steam.

The villager started trembling. “W…why should we help a scum bag like you?”

“I already said that someone I happen to care about is dying from Shohi, and so are many others. Those poppies on Hijiri island might help to treat the disease.” 

“Get lost! Even if that were true, Saint Hakushin only sought to protect us—not the entire country.” 

Too shocked for words, Bankotsu pulled the zanbato away. ‘Fucking hell, thanks for reminding me as to why there’s so few people in this world I can tolerate.’ He tightened the grip on the handle of his zanbato, trying his damnedest to resist the urge to just decapitate the villager right then and there—he preferred saving his kill count for those who faced him on the battlefield.

“Don’t any of you people have any clue about the epidemic we’re going through right now? The disease doesn’t care about your ranking in society, it will ravage you within a matter of weeks to months if you catch it.” 

“We’re protected thanks to Saint Hakushin.” The villager said, not listening to anything Bankotsu said. 

He set Banryu aside and grabbed the villager up by the scruff of his jacket before delivering the hardest punch he had ever delivered in a long time. “I don’t know what part of ‘we’re in an epidemic’ you missed, but I’m not going to stand by and wait any longer. We need those poppies to develop the medicine we need to treat it.” 

There was a woman who ran to the man’s side in tears and then started shouting at Bankotsu. “What makes you think that the poppies from Hijiri island will perform any differently from the ones you can find anywhere else?”

Then, out of nowhere, Bankotsu could hear the familiar voice of Suikotsu. “It’s a theory I’ve developed.” He turned around and saw that Suikotsu was catching up with him yet appeared much different than he normally did. “I am known as Doctor Susumu and have taken interest in treating patients with Shohi. I’ve had decent results in the past by giving them medicine extracted from the seeds of normal poppies.”

‘Susumu… oh yeah, I forgot that was his real name.’ Bankotsu lamented over not remembering the names his companions carried with them prior to joining his group. It had been far too easy to forget after almost three years of going by ‘-kotsu’. 

Suikotsu’s chestnut hair hung just below his chin. The doctor’s serene face was quite the contrast to his usual black armor covering his white kosode and hakama. Bankotsu could see that the clawed gloves were being held in one hand, while Suikotsu offered one hand out to the injured villager. Within one swift motion, Suikotsu helped the villager back up on to his feet. 

The bewildered villager stared at Suikotsu, trembling as blood dripped down from both of his flared nostrils. 

Bankotsu rested his zanbato on his shoulder and glared at the villager. 

“If I were to take you there, then we’ll all be executed by Lord Aritomo for not protecting the island under his order.” The man finally confessed. “But if you and your supposed army can come back with Aritomo’s head then I will personally escort you to Hijiri island.”

“Fine, just tell me where he is.” Bankotsu said, no longer being able to stand whatever it was that was making him nauseous just being around the village. 

“His dwelling is south of the village…”

Suikotsu followed Bankotsu as they left the village, having no further use yet. There was no further need to interact with the villagers; every second spent standing around was wasted time. 

“Big Brother, I’m surprised you didn’t kill that son of a bitch right away.” Suikotsu said as soon as the villagers were out of ear shot. “If it were me, I would’ve finished them off as soon as they gave me the slightest attitude. It pisses me off when locals get disrespectful.” Bankotsu did not reply to Suikotsu as he tried to avoid looking directly at him.

It didn’t take long for Bankotsu to be fighting off the creeping sorrow as images of a blood soaked Sayaka flashed through his mind. “Tell the others to get ready.” Bankotsu said.

“Are you alright?” 

Bankotsu finally turned to look at Suikotsu after wiping his eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking that it’s a good thing Renkotsu brought his war wagon along, he can just blast Aritomo’s dwelling down alongside Ginkotsu. It’ll be pretty damned quick.”

Suikotsu nodded with a devilish smirk. “Oh man, I’ve been waiting for an excuse to cut people down once more.” He put the gloves on and tied them on before continuing the conversation. “By the by, may I ask you something? It might be a tad person.”

“Shoot.” 

“What is your relation to that noblewoman? I thought that we weren’t supposed to be loyal to any lord; is she an exception to that rule?”

Bankotsu paused for a minute, unsure whether to answer Suikotsu or not. Would the mad doctor lose any respect towards his own leader for exercising emotions that just about most teens had gone through? At the same time, there wasn’t much Suikotsu could really do in terms of retaliation. What would he gain from spreading around the potentially sensitive information?

“Entering the battlefield without the intent to protect someone is meaningless to me, something which I have come to realize in these last couple of months. When there are no stakes, I don’t feel a sense of gratification picking up Banryu. After losing my mother to disease and my old master to an ambush, I feel a great sense of responsibility to make sure that you all survive under when you’re under my command. I don’t know what I’d do if I were to lose you guys under my watch.”

Suikotsu quietly listened without interruption.

“Lady Sayaka is another person I have to protect, even though she does not travel with us under any circumstance. Her precious smile gives me more motivation to protect her from any external threats that I can put an end to.”

“Is that why we attacked Kaneda’s supply base?”

Bankotsu went silent. He hadn’t realized it at the time, but Suikotsu was correct in the assessment; had Kaneda’s own diplomat not sent Sayaka a death threat then would he have burned down the supply base as a warning? Most likely not.

“Ya got me there, Suikotsu.” Bankotsu laughed. “Now that we’re alone there’s something I’d like to ask you in return.”

“Go ahead?”

“Would you be willing to serve me as I climb the ranks of this world and become a lord who unites this entire country?”

It seemed like an absurd idea; there were many Daimyo who had attempted the same thing Bankotsu just announced… yet, Suikotsu still nodded. “Sure, why not? I’ve got nothing better to do. Just if the battles keep on coming, I’ll be willing to stick by your side.”

\---------------

The land between the village and the fortress where Aritomo resided was nothing more than a wasteland. Even with all the rainfall in the world, there was nothing which could allow for plant life to thrive in what may as well be a desert surrounding the fortress. 

From a distance, Aritomo could see two horses struggling to get over a steep hill with Renkotsu and a samurai standing at their sides, holding the reins as if to guide the horses to move forward. Once the horses were over the hill, both men disappeared. Within a moment later he could see Renkotsu again, sitting on the wagon with a whip of some sort that he used to slap the horses to get them galloping at full speed over the hill.

“What the hell is that?”

“I think that’s a trade wagon. Should we go investigate it?” 

Aritomo laughed while the war wagon rapidly moved ever closer towards the base. “Hah, they must be coming here to offer goods to us in exchange for access to our poppy fields. Turn them away.”

Suddenly the wagon came to a halt, a fair distance. It was close enough that Aritomo could see the huge smirk on Renkotsu’s face as he stood up from his position. “Ginkotsu, would you do the honors of revealing the canons?”

“Gershhhh.”

Ginkotsu hopped off from the back of the wagon and walked towards the horses, pulling off the sheets to reveal the newly polished canons. With one step closer, Aritomo could see the o-zutsu on Ginkotsu’s back.

“Is that a walking siege weapon… I’ve heard that’s a descriptor for one of the seven sell swords.” Aritomo’s mouth dropped. “Wait a second, the same Band of Seven who murdered my dear brother Miyamoto. I, the Great and Powerful Aritomo, shall make them grovel like the worms that they are using my wits!” 

Aritomo looked over at his men. “Well don’t just stand there, kill those two before they can do any damage to us!” His words came too late once Renkotsu pulled the lever on the wagon, firing off the first shot which penetrated through the wall. “What are you men waiting for, charge at them!”

Infantry came storming out of the fortress, prepared to attack the wagon until they saw a horde of horses charging down the very same steep hill; with only one light grey that could be seen from a distance. 

Within seconds, the infantry faced being crushed to death under the hooves of the horses; or were skewered by the naginata which some of the samurai carried on them. Stragglers were picked off by gunfire.

Bankotsu jumped off Raiu and drew his zanbato before storming the walls of the fortress, slicing down any who dared get in front of him. Soon enough, the other six sell swords were within the walls- with Kyokotsu making short work by smashing them down. Jakotsu picked off any soldiers from a distance who were trying to charge towards their leader.

With no patience to stay outside and deal with the grunts, Bankotsu proceeded into the fortress and ended each conflict with one swing until he reached General Aritomo. 

Instead of fighting as Miyamoto would have, Aritomo fell to his knees and bowed as low as he could. “I’ll do whatever you demand of me, just don’t kill me.” 

“You’re more valuable dead than alive.” Bankotsu replied, decapitating Aritomo shortly after.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sayaka looked out into the courtyard and listened in on the conversation between Aiyuki and the guards; the words were quite faint to the ear. 

“Kid, when will you take the hint and stay away from here? The Lady is ill, and we have nowhere to house you.” The guard shouted. Sayaka could only watch helplessly as they’d react brutally towards the hanyou child, whose only crime was being born as far as she was concerned. 

“I wish to only be in this world with Sayaka.” Aiyuki said, with tears streaming down her face. 

“The fuck you babbling on about?” Sayaka covered her eyes once the guards started to smack Aiyuki around. Then, there was a red light which appeared from Aiyuki’s hand which shot into the skies above. 

The guards backed away and then watched as the skies darkened. It was as if all light was sucked out of the world for a split second. “What the fuck just happened?!” The guard shouted.

Sayaka’s chest started to burn just when the world darkened. When light returned, the skies were infested with low levelled Yokai in all their grotesque glory; some of which had deformed human faces while others were insectoid. She instinctively placed a hand on her abdomen and took on a defensive posture.

“I’m afraid you won’t live long enough to meet your child even if you manage to get that far without succumbing to your illness.”

No, she wasn’t about to give up. She mustered up enough strength to flee from her quarters, only to collapse before reaching the castle entrance. 

A blood-soaked guard covered in deep wounds approached Sayaka, wobbling as he tried to stay on his feet. “Lady Sayaka, there’s a dragon outside!” the man collapsed onto the ground moments before drawing his last breath.

‘What happened?’

Sayaka stepped out from the castle after wrapping herself in a hitoe and made her way through to the courtyard. There was an azure light coming from the grey skies. Winds roared and the trees surrounding the castle were being uprooted from the blusterous wrath.

Her heart raced. ‘No… it can’t be…’ Color drained from her already pale face as she fell into another coughing fit. 

A blue serpentine body towered over the trees. It only took one step onto the unforgiving cold ground for Sayaka to see the head of the skull faced dragon peering down at her.

It looked down at Sayaka, which was when she could see Aiyuki’s fused with the dragon’s forehead. “Lady Sayaka, I’ve become a full demon and found my place in this world. I’ll make sure that no one can come between us ever again.”

Mangled corpses were splayed all around the courtyard. Sayaka braced herself for cover as the dragon crumbled above her; each piece dissolving once they hit the ground. She only made it to the top of the stairs before she started coughing again and was sickened by the sulphurous smell lingering after the deterioration of the monster stopped. 

‘Bankotsu… where are you?’


	24. Settled Fates

Chapter 23 

“You may sit down.” O-Yakata said to Kaneda as he walked into the war room. Daimyo from all over the north were sitting in the room, silent as O-Yakata spoke. “I have gathered the lot of you because I’m sure we’re all aware of General Aritomo’s death at the hands of sell swords. As it turns out, it was none other than the Band of Seven responsible for initiating the attack without the command of another warlord. In fact, they had recruited many former soldiers of Akihiko.”

“The silver haired Daimyo?” Kaneda only recalled meeting Akihito once. Despite his age, Kaneda found himself humbled by the young Daimyo in almost every aspect; but mostly by how Akihito was like a prince in his own right. 

O-Yakata sighed and nodded. “For whatever reason, they decided to join forces with the Band of Seven. Do you realize what this means?”

“They are growing?” Fear was awoken within Kaneda. He had already been haunted by what he saw only seven of them could do.

“If they get any bigger and surpass their current numbers, there will be hell for all of us to pay. Think about how many generals and Daimyo they’ve killed in the last few months with encouragement from villagers.”

If there was anything that Kaneda had become acutely aware of, it was of the fact that commoners had outnumbered the Shogunate in every corner of the country. Even the smallest of children were armed in some shape or form to fight alongside a mob if any Daimyo became too oppressive of them. 

The shogun shot a glance towards Kaneda and pointed at the Samurai-Daisho. “May I remind you that they only found your supply base because of a disgruntled villager they showed a little bit of kindness towards?” He paused. “According to one of Miyamoto’s former soldiers, they also took advantage of the villager’s dissatisfaction with the high taxes imposed on them.”

There was a moment of silence as a figure stood behind the sliding door. “Come in, Nagasaki Hitomi.” O-Yakata said. 

A man with long, wavy hair and dark eyes slid the door open “Thank you for inviting me.” He said, with a voice as soft as a bell. Judging by the flashy reds and greens on Kagewaki, Kaneda assumed that he was someone high ranking. He was now the youngest in the room.

“Of course. Even with my daughter dead, you are still family to me even if only through marriage.” O-Yakata said, bowing his head to the young noble. 

Kagewaki brushed his fingers through his hair and gave a reassuring smile to O-Yakata. “Our family has been going through a difficult time in these last few months, especially after receiving news of Hanzo’s death. As it stands, I’m the only Daimyo in our clan left.”

“You’re related to Hanzo?” Kaneda asked. 

“He was my cousin.”

It wasn’t until Kaneda studied Kagewaki’s facial features did he see some semblance between him and the Hitomi youngsters he had seen years ago. Kaneda couldn’t help but be in awe of Kagewaki’s handsome features. 

O-Yakata’s gruff voice had taken Kaneda out of his daze as he bowed down to Kagewaki once more. “I would like to ask a favour out of you.”

“Anything for you.” Kagewaki replied, crossing his arms. 

“Please convince Lady Sayaka to relocate to these dwellings, away from Narusegawa’s grasp. She is all I have left of my late wife and daughter. I’ll let you marry her without question!”

Never had Kaneda seen his Lord be reduced into tears. It was only then Kaneda slowly began to realize the stakes that were at hand whenever it came to affairs of his granddaughter; and why the Lord had been frustrated with her infatuation towards Bankotsu. 

“There is no need for you to make any generous offers, I will bring Sayaka back on the principal of her being family.” Kagewaki closed his eyes. “I have heard all about her… affair with a mercenary. Would you like me to hire someone to make him disappear?”

Kagewaki’s innocent smile had morphed into a devilish smirk. 

Underneath Kaneda’s mask, he was fighting the urge to get defensive on Bankotsu’s behalf. Only remembering Daisuke’s crippled state made him practice restraint. ‘That’s right… he is no son of mine anymore.’ 

“For now, all I care about is bringing her back here as soon as possible.” O-Yakata paused. “I would like everyone to keep an eye on those mercenaries. I intend to eventually have them executed once I have the cooperation of all the Daimyo throughout the land.” 

There was something about Hijiri island’s atmosphere that was absolutely sickening to Bankotsu- even though he was the furthest thing from being a Yokai. He pressed his fingers against his temple; it was like a thousand knives where embedded into his skull. There were urns full of violet poppies by the time the atmosphere had become unbearable.

Had it not been for the atmosphere, Bankotsu would have appreciated the island purely for how pleasing the contrast of the poppies to the ocean was. 

‘Fucking hell, this is getting irritating. This better be worth all the trouble in the world.’ He thought, gritting his teeth before getting back on the boat with Renkotsu and Suikotsu. Bankotsu reached into his bag and looked over the vial containing poppy milk he received from Miguel. 

“Senhor, only drink this if you’re in too much pain to bear.”

‘I AM in a lot of pain from this atmosphere.’

Despite the warnings, the ‘milk’ seemed quite friendly. He took the smallest sip he could before putting it away and picking a few more poppies. “Alright, twenty urns.” He said after closing it and putting it on the boat.

Suikotsu brushed his bangs away from his eyes and smiled. “It seems like I have a lot of work ahead of me.”

“Hey, is there a reason you look like that right now….?” Bankotsu asked; it was twice now that he had seen Suikotsu with the face of a doctor yet with his mind seemingly intact.

The boat started drifting away from the island. “I think it has something to do with the atmosphere around here. It’s the first time I’ve ever been this… lucid. Speaking of.” Suikotsu turned over to Renkotsu, “would you mind recording some notes? I won’t remember how to extract medicine from the poppies when I’m back to normal.”

Renkotsu nodded. “Of course, just get me some materials to write with and I’ll be more than happy to do it. It’s a shame that you can’t be this lucid all the time.”

“I’d easily be more useful to the lot of you if I could, wouldn’t I?” Suikotsu laughed while placing his claws onto his lap. “I’ll get to work on extracting the first samples as soon as we’re back in the village and test it out on a few of the villagers. I need to see for myself if the rumours are true.”

Bankotsu leaned back and stared at the grey skies above. “I sure fucking hope so… or we will have wasted a lot of time around here.” The pain in his head slowly started to fade as his fatigue increased. He knew then that as soon as they reached the village, he was going to fall asleep on the closest wagon for a while. 

“I suppose that I am lucky that even when I’m my true self, that I somehow remembered this rumour.” 

It wasn’t long before Bankotsu allowed himself to drift into a light sleep, with the grey skies being the last thing he was looking at. He couldn’t recall the last time he was able to fall asleep as quickly as he did in that moment but listening to Renkotsu and Suikotsu converse had relaxed him. 

Renkotsu closed the cap to the ink after he wrote down the instructions, word for word from Suikotsu. Along with writing the process, he had also taken the liberty to provide quick illustrations of the materials.

“Wow Suikotsu, I’m surprised that you aren’t a doctor for the Emperor.” Renkotsu said after putting the brush down and watching Suikotsu close the vial where the liquefied opium was poured into. 

“It’s a blessing and a curse. You of all people should understand; right Rennyo?”

Renkotsu looked away. “Ugh, since when did I ever give you permission to refer to me by my real name? Not even Jakotsu has that privilege.”

Suikotsu chuckled. “Oh, come on, after everything we’ve been through? By this point, I wouldn’t begrudge you if you started calling me Susumu.”

“Look, it’s just that… none of us are close to each other in that way. Aside from the bond you’ve formed with Jakotsu lately, we are all just partners who are free to leave the company at a moment’s notice.” Renkotsu rested his hands under his chin. “But even if we were all friends, it’s no use getting too attached since we could die any time.”

“I know, but what happens when we get too old and frail to handle the battlefield anymore? Would we all just be partners by then—or can we start calling each other by our real names?”

Renkotsu could no longer fight off laughter. “Alright, I’ve got a deal. If we both survive into old age, then you are free to call me ‘Rennyo’ and I will start to refer to you by ‘Susumu.”

“Well now, there’s a deal I cannot refuse.” Suikotsu stood up and headed towards the door. “Alright, why don’t we head over to that woman’s house while the day is still young? I want to see if I’m right.”

Renkotsu nodded and stood up to follow his companion. It was shortly after their conversation ended did Renkotsu slowly start to realize how little he knew his comrades on a more personal level. He silently cursed himself. Shouldn’t brothers in war at least develop something resembling a friendship?

‘Perhaps we need to speak to each other more often like this.’ Renkotsu smiled at the thought of them all being a group of elderly men in their own village, perhaps alongside their own descendants, telling the tales of their many adventures in their youth. 

Renkotsu then shook his head at the thought. ‘As if I’d be able to find a woman who’d tolerate me enough to produce an heir… not that I’d be suited to rearing children. Then again, I don’t think Bankotsu would be cut out for fatherhood either’ He silently amused himself with the thought of Bankotsu trying to figure out how to parent—his leader can barely construct a proper fishing net. 

‘Stop it Rennyo! We’re not even close to settling down.’ 

He stopped in front of a Minka and waited patiently with Suikotsu until a distraught woman walked out of it. 

“Where is your son?” Suikotsu asked, holding up the vial. 

“Right over here, Doctor Susumu.”

Renkotsu walked in with Suikotsu and saw a young boy laying on a futon. The boy wheezed as he breathed. Bloodstains on the sheets were all Renkotsu needed to see to realize how badly the child was suffering from the disease. He normally hadn’t given thought to the plight of villagers in times like these. 

“Alright, let’s see if this medicine will work on him. Hopefully my theory about these poppies growing on holy land will hold some weight regarding accelerated healing.” Suikotsu said, presenting the vial to the child. “Drink this.”

At first, the boy struggled to swallow the drug and nearly coughed it all back up if not for Suikotsu’s scolding expression. 

It only took a few moments for the red on the boy’s face to begin fading into his natural skin tone. “H-how do you feel?” the woman asked, drying her tears as she got down to the boy’s level. 

“I don’t know how to describe it but… it feels like my chest is cooling down.”

Suikotsu handed the woman another vial. “Keep this with you in case either his symptoms return, or you begin experiencing them yourself.” Renkotsu couldn’t believe what he was seeing—he had seen his own fair share of ill people entering his home temple. Yet none of them had ever recovered as rapidly as the boy in front of him. 

There wasn’t another word from Suikotsu until they were both far away from the Minka. “It seems like I was correct to assume that these poppies are indeed special. We’ll be able to save countless lives with this.”

“While making a killing off selling it to nobles, no doubt. Don’t you think we deserve to be paid for our efforts?” Renkotsu folded his arms as they stopped outside of the village. 

“When you put it that you, you make me feel as though we have ulterior motives.”

“We do, remember? We’ll be able to secure funds to purchase more weapons and horses at this rate. This will just secure our reputation in a better light.”

Suikotsu smiled. “I know where you’re coming from, Renkotsu.” Renkotsu removed his bandana and sighed with frustration as his bangs started to brush against his eyebrows. “I didn’t think that you were able to still grow hair.”

“I haven’t had the time to shave lately, that’s all.” Renkotsu couldn’t help but be slightly offended by Suikotsu’s insinuation—did he really look several years older than he was?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don’t remember who Kagewaki Hitomi was- he was the guy who Naraku killed and took his form in between episode 24-25.


	25. Cult of Naraku

Chapter 24 

It took only one bloodcurdling scream from the courtyard to force Kaneda to smack his horse into a gallop; his heart sunk the closer he got to the gates. He prayed that the scream didn’t belong to Daisuke. Passing through the gates had only confirmed his worst fear.

Daisuke’s motionless body laid above a pool of blood, much to the shock of the castle guards standing around. “Get out of my way!” Kaneda shouted after jumping off his horse and rushing towards Daisuke. Color was rapidly draining from Daisuke’s cold body. “Daisuke! Daisuke, get a hold of yourself!” Kaneda knew that his son had already passed away, but still clung to the small hope that somehow Daisuke would respond. 

“S… sir, all we saw was that he had fallen from the top floor.”

Kaneda couldn’t hear anything except for the screams from the castle entrance, which was when he had to look into the eyes of his frantic wife. She nearly tripped twice as she made her way down the stairs and ran to Kaneda’s side.

She screamed, pushing Kaneda away as she cradled her lifeless son. “No, this can’t be!” she sobbed, glaring at Kaneda. “This is your fault—if you never forced him to become a samurai, then he’d still be with us! Why couldn’t you have just let him be content with the arts?!”

No words existed for Kaneda to choose from as he listened to his wife shout every insult in his direction. 

“Oh Daisuke, you were never a source of shame for me. My opinion of you should have mattered more to you than your father’s!” 

Kaneda gritted his teeth as the other castle residents came rushing into the courtyard to behold the scene; chattering amongst themselves as the autumn leaves drifted past them. Whatever social etiquette that his wife learned over her lifetime were thrown away as she started to scream out profanities to anyone who’d try to yank Daisuke from her arms. 

As if things couldn’t get any worse, there was yet another heavy rainfall on the evening Bankotsu had decided to leave the village of fog. Luckily, the supplies were protected. He threw two sheets over the urns containing the seeds of the poppies which Akihiko’s forces collided in collecting over the course of a day at the advice of Suikotsu. Renkotsu stored the written instructions in a separate urn to protect it from the elements getting to them. Mukotsu, Jakotsu and Suikotsu sat beside the supplies while Ginkotsu stayed by Renkotsu’s side. Kyokotsu maintained a fair distance away from the others at the flank of the group after being instructed to keep and eye out for ambushes. 

‘Hopefully by the time we get back to our base, we’ll start production.’ He thought as he placed his Banryu on to the side of the war wagon—choosing to instead defend the supplies at a distance from Raiu’s back. 

“Are you not going to use your zanbato?” Renkotsu asked as he watched Bankotsu arm himself with a Yumi-bow and arrows. 

Bankotsu shook his head. “Banryu will only slow Raiu down. If bandits were come along and ambush us, I wouldn’t be able to get to them in time. So therefore, I’ll have to rely on my second-best skill.”

“But that’s never slowed you down on horseback before, has it?”

“It’s one thing if I’m out on the battlefield without anything to protect except for my life; but it’s different because I have the entire world to lose if our supplies get stolen or destroyed.” Bankotsu no longer cared who heard him—the gossip among the Samurai themselves was more than enough to let him know that they knew how high his stakes were. “Any bastard who gets in my way will be shown no mercy.”

Bankotsu pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and pressed Raiu’s side, signalling the stallion to take off over the muddy road. Time had no meaning to anyone travelling back towards the western lands while they were all getting drenched by the rainfall.

He found himself occasionally wiping raindrops off his face whenever water got into his eyes. Raiu was unbothered by the echoing thunder, only pinning his grey ears back when the noise had gotten too loud for his liking. Perhaps it was due to his ancestors being the steeds of many Daiyoukai and therefore much more tolerant than the average horse; or he was simply used to high conflict. Either way, Bankotsu figured it was better than dealing with a steed that panicked at every noise.

The Samurai were also maintaining their usual dignified composure as they made their way ahead of the mercenaries. “My Lord, if we cut through this forest, we’ll be able to cut down on half a day of travel.” One samurai suddenly said to Bankotsu, pointing towards a dark forest ahead. “Plus, it’ll shield us from the rain.”

“Alright, let’s go through there then.” Bankotsu said before looking behind him and gave Renkotsu a nod. 

It wasn’t until they were shielded from the rain did it sink in that Bankotsu had been granted a title he felt he was undeserving of. ‘Well, I guess they’re defaulting to that since I’m the only voice of authority around. Thankfully, I haven’t gotten any of them killed on my behalf… yet.’ 

‘But maybe, if this all works out as I hope, then they’ll help me on my path. To pave a path of greatness, I’ll need much more than just seven of us.’ He blinked as they got under the thick canopy of trees. ‘I think it’ll work out if I’m careful about my reputation.’

Raiu snorted and kept his ears pinned back as they got halfway through the forest. It didn’t take long before arrows came raining down from the trees— Bankotsu could only wonder how everyone dodged the wave of them until it became apparent that the archers had missed them intentionally. 

“Halt!” A voice hissed from the darkness. A man riding an undead horse came running out of the bushes and stood before Bankotsu with a yari in hand. 

Bankotsu looked all around him in the forest, noting the vast number of bandits peering down from the trees and then glared at the pale faced man standing before them. “Before we let you through the gates, why don’t you tell us what you were doing over at Hijiri island.” Right away, Bankotsu could tell it wasn’t human once he noticed the crimson eyes. 

Raiu pawed at the ground, as if itching to engage in battle with the man ahead of them. “None of your business. Now get out of my way before I have you all executed.” Bankotsu replied. It was then the bandits jumped down from their positions. The samurai drew their weapons and got into position to sprint. 

Renkotsu let go of the horse’s reins and unveiled his o-zutsu that was on another wagon, while Jakotsu ran up to Bankotsu’s side with his blade unsheathed. “I’ll give you time to grab your Banryu.” Jakotsu said, fixating on the man before them. “I’ll care of those ugly motherfuckers.” 

“Won’t you at least hear me out first, Bankotsu?” the man said as the undead bandits got closer. “I think you’d find it beneficial if you were to hear about the glorious teachings of Lord Naraku.”

“I have no interest in your deity.” Bankotsu gritted his teeth and started to take aim at the man’s face. “Get out of my way.”

The man sneered at Bankotsu before breaking out into maniacal laughter. “And allow you to interfere with Lord Naraku’s vision for a better world? We know that you lot were all just at Hijiri island.”

“What does it matter to you why we were at Hijiri island?”

“You were there for the Hijiri poppies, were you not? No one ever goes there on their own accord unless it is to retrieve the key ingredient to treating Shohi disease.” The man said as he allowed his horse to creep its way towards the mercenary. 

Bankotsu fired off the arrow. Although the arrow penetrated through the man’s eye, it did nothing to stop the man from continuing to speak.

“Shohi is merely a blessing from Lord Naraku. With Shohi, humanity will be on a path towards a much better world. A world without war… suffering… corruption of our natural order to suit son of man’s selfish needs. In a world where peace is eternal. That is the world which we are promised by our blessed Lord Naraku.”

It was Jakotsu flickered his blade and took out one crowd of bandits from within the bushes. “Shut up, just shut up!” Jakotsu shouted. “I can’t stand listening to ugly men speak!”

“Calm down Jakotsu!” Suikotsu shouted after tightening his gloves and rushing to his side. 

Raiu tried to rear as the undead horse got closer, only calmed by Bankotsu’s tightening of the reins. 

“Join us… listen to the blessings of Lord Naraku so that we may continue the path of righteousness. With the death of humanity, we can return to the world as ruled by the wiser Daiyoukai ruled only by Lord Naraku.”

Raiu started to back up, keeping his ears pinned. Renkotsu fired off his o-zutsu and managed to clear out another crowd of bandits. Bankotsu fired off another arrow once he was a considerable distance away from the pale man and let Raiu get closer to the supply wagon with Banryu on it. 

Even with arrows in both of his eyes, the man continued speaking. “With Shohi, we will be able to collect the souls necessary to recreate the Shikon no Tama and accelerate the utopian path at the behest of Lord Naraku. Isn’t it wonderful?” 

Bankotsu jumped off Raiu’s back and sprinted towards the wagon, grabbing his Banryu. As soon as he had a firm grip on the handle, he rushed towards the man and decapitated the undead horse. From the horse’s body, black and purple bees came swarming out as it collapsed onto the ground with the man. 

“I have to decline your insane offer.” Bankotsu said before decapitating the pale man. 

The head started laughing. “You have quite the temper, Bankotsu… just as master Yuzuru predicted. He has already awoken the dragon for the sake of our utopia… a hanyou child has already collected the souls of sacrificed innocents to fuel the new Shikon no Tama.”

In a matter of moments, the head dissolved into the earth. The bandits all started coughing on to the samurai before being promptly slain. 

Bankotsu froze in place before joining the others in slaughtering the remaining bandits. ‘If what he said was true, then I’ve got to hurry up and stop them from spreading the Shohi around… damn it, why does this burden have to be mine to bear?’ 

Raiu nudged Bankotsu’s back with a gentle nicker. 

‘How am I still alive?’ Sayaka rose from the sheets and looked out the window, watching as the courtyard was flooded with rainwater. There were no corpses from what Sayaka could see.

‘Was it all just a long nightmare?’ 

She coughed and stood up, wrapping herself with a sheet to look around the castle. Searching for any familiar face she could speak with. It was much quieter than normal. Sayaka frowned as she got further around the castle, unable to find a single person to talk to.

The more she walked, her headache got worse as it slowly caught up. ‘Did I get hit in the head at some point?’ Once she reached the entrance, she got a closer look at the flooded courtyard and could see mounds in the distance. 

“You’re finally awake!”

Sayaka turned around to see Aiyuki. The tiny girl’s arms were covered in scales, and the clothes Sayaka gave to her were worn down. “Aiyuki? What’s the meaning of all this? I want some answers.” Sayaka finally asked as she recalled the last thing she saw before being knocked out. 

There nothing but a strained smile on Aiyuki’s face as she stumbled towards Sayaka. “I decided to create a world where neither of us will be tormented by those evil men who want to hurt us.” She embraced Sayaka, burying her face against her abdomen as tears started to fall. “We’ve both been let down by this world and you know it. But now, we no longer will have to worry about what other people think.”

“We can be free… in our world... Just me… and you… my new mother. You even said to me once that I can be your daughter even though you never gave birth to me. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Aiyuki…” Sayaka rubbed Aiyuki’s head as her mind had gone blank. She dreaded expressing any horror over Aiyuki’s omnicidal desires. 

“I’ll even get rid of that dumb boy who keeps making trouble for you.”

Sayaka stepped away from Aiyuki and shook her head. “I don’t want that.”

“Why not?”

It was then Sayaka realized that she had to choose her words carefully to avoid provoking Aiyuki’s wrath as she remembered seeing the dragon dissolve transform back into her. “Bankotsu isn’t of any trouble to me. Why must you say such an awful thing?”

“Because I don’t want to lose another mama because of some selfish man…” Aiyuki said, drying off her tears.


	26. Fall of the Dragon

Chapter 25 

An empty village was the first thing to greet Bankotsu after he dropped most of the equipment off at his base of operations and went to look for more subjects to test on, as per Renkotsu’s suggestion. He held on to the handle of his zanbato, prepared to engage in combat with anyone who showed him immediate hostility. 

Bones scattered across the bloodied mud, some with traces of tissue still attached. Bankotsu crouched down to look at one set of legs, only to become wide eyed as he noticed what appeared to be teeth marks on the bones. These weren’t marks caused by humans—that much he knew. Not even a bear would cause the exact pattern; having only seen the post-mortem result of a bear mauling a few times. 

The teeth marks were more consistent with another beast he had grown to fear and despise. 

He traced a nearby footprint with his hand and grimaced. ‘These tracks… the teeth marks… there’s only one kind of monster I know that matches this. I’ll kill them all when I see them.’

At a distance, he caught a glimpse of several humanoid figures staring him down with their glowing eyes. Bankotsu froze in place. He knew better than to blindly charge if victory wasn’t guaranteed. Yet, he couldn’t shake off the desire to defend himself- unwilling to let any of his nightmares become his reality. 

‘How many of them are there?’

One became bold enough to step closer, which was when Bankotsu could see the crimson beast covered in black stripes as it dragged the corpse of a child by their leg. “Another sacrifice for us…” the Oni said as it dug its teeth into the child’s forehead and ripped their face off, exposing the facial muscles to Bankotsu. He froze, watching in horror as the Oni swallowed the skin before tossing the corpse aside.

Another Oni, with blue skin and two horns, walked towards Bankotsu, giggling with glee. “Ooh Lady Aiyuki was right when she said that more food would arrive soon.” The blue skinned Oni approached Bankotsu with a spiked club, swinging it at the mercenary. 

It took only one swing from Bankotsu’s zanbato to sever the Oni’s hand. Just as the blue Oni collapsed, the red one ripped out a tree from its roots and started wildly swinging it towards Bankotsu. Fortune smiled upon Bankotsu as he jumped onto the trunk and ran down towards the Oni- decapitating it once he was close enough to it.

Before Bankotsu had a chance to collect himself after jumping away from the deceased Oni, he noticed a crowd of the beasts running towards him at full force.

“The sacrifice is fighting back!” A venomous sneer crossed Bankotsu’s face as he listened to their frantic call; just hearing the malevolent beasts slip up and reveal any thin layer of doubts was more than enough motivation for him to make them suffer. 

With a knife he spotted nearby, he threw it into the eye of a green Oni; followed by chopping its legs off with Banryu. Hearing its wailing as it writhed only enticed Bankotsu to follow suite with the rest who were charging at him. 

“You’re all a bunch of ugly mother fuckers!” he shouted as he disarmed another red one and then shoved his Banryu into the jaws of a red one that dared approached him despite the ongoing massacre. 

When the last of them collapsed onto the mass grave, Bankotsu finally moved on from the village. Only then did he allow himself to catch his breath, panting as he leaned against the nearest Minka. 

‘Why did they keep referring to me as a sacrifice?’ he stared into the grey skies above, watching as three eyed crows flew into the forest leading to Narusegawa’s dwellings. Without him noticing, a murder of crows landed in front of Bankotsu. 

“I must say, that was an impressive display of power… Bankotsu.”

Bankotsu flinched upon hearing the voice. He searched for the owner of the voice, and then flinched once he had seen a shadowy figure before him- it was the dark Sohei he had encountered during his battle with General Miyamoto. 

“You never fail to impress me. I imagine that you’d be a fine disciple for Lord Naraku, if you’re willing you become one.” The man said, running his hand onto the zanbato. “My, what an impressive weapon. It must have cost you a fortune to have built this.”

Bankotsu lowered his zanbato and pressed the tip against the shadow monk’s throat. “Who are you?”

“Oh, how rude of me- I failed to introduce myself.” It was then Bankotsu realized that there was nothing but a void from the Sohei’s hood. “I am Yuzuru, Lord Naraku’s most faithful disciple. With your help, I can bring him back from his degenerated state without using the Shikon Jewel.”

“Not interested.”

Bankotsu started to walk away from Yuzuru, having regained enough energy to make his way through the forest. Yuzuru had suddenly appeared in front of him, halting him from going further and then held up a hand mirror. “Do you think I’ll let you go that easily? Look into this mirror.” 

The mirror revealed the image of Sayaka collapsing in a corridor, while he castle was surrounded by Oni. “Sayaka!” he looked away from the mirror, not wishing to see what happens next.

Yuzuru leaned into Bankotsu and pushed him against the wall of the Minka. “That is merely an image of what is to come… if you don’t kill the azure dragon. At your current strength, you won’t be able to face off against it.”

“Let me guess, I’ll only get that strength from Naraku? Forget it, I’m not as pathetic and weak as most men are. I’d rather save her with my own strength.” Bankotsu swung his zanbato and watched as the Sohei burst into a murder of crows fluttering in the skies.

Although Yuzuru had no physical form, Bankotsu could still hear his voice. “Very well then, sell sword, I’d like to see you try. We the crows will be entertained either way.”

Bankotsu gritted his teeth as he watched the crows fly into the forest. 

“Hey Bankotsu!” He turned around to see Jakotsu, followed by the five other companions. “We got tired of waiting for you because you were taking your sweet ass time.” Jakotsu said, flinching when he accidentally stepped on to a severed Oni’s arm.

Suikotsu tightened the knots on his gloves and then glared at Bankotsu. “Oh, for fuck sakes, you were having fun without us, were you? I wouldn’t have stayed at the base if I knew about this.”

“Those Oni kept calling me a sacrifice.”

Renkotsu arched his brow and stared at the miserable human and Oni remains. He then shook his head. “What a mess.” He tossed a vial over to Bankotsu. “Give this to Sayaka when we get to her dwellings.”

Bankotsu caught it and looked it over- taking note of the transparent liquid containing the opium. 

\--------------------------------

Cawing of the three eyed crows echoed through the forest. The castle was only a short distance away, yet the mercenaries were still finding themselves constricted. There were times when Ginkotsu had to be discouraged from burning down the entire forest by Renkotsu, especially when the automaton was getting annoyed with how dense it was.

Had the sky ever become crimson? Bankotsu was silent as the path became narrower. 

“No fucking way.” A flash of anger crossed Suikotsu’s face as he growled. Suikotsu suddenly dashed ahead of the others. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Bankotsu shouted, following the mad man into the narrowing path of trees. He looked ahead and saw the lavender haired girl crouching down. Suikotsu’s battle cry echoed through the darkened forest, as his claws were plunged into the earth after narrowly missing the child standing in a patch of light. 

It was none other than Aiyuki. 

Bankotsu shoved Suikotsu aside and shook his head before making eye contact with the child, petrified by shock. “Hey kid, you might want to get out of here.”

Aiyuki shot Bankotsu a piercing glare. “You came here to take away my mama, didn’t you?!” She trembled with rage. Suikotsu tried to charge at her once more, only to be restrained by Jakotsu.

“What are you talking about? I came here to give her medicine so that she won’t die.” Bankotsu said, “get out of my way.” After saying that, Aiyuki had managed to push him away with invisible force that sent him flying into a tree trunk. “What the fuck what that?!” 

The girl put both hands on her head and let out a shrill scream before shouting, “go away!” A black sun rose on the horizon as Aiyuki backed away from the group. “I won’t let it happen to me again… I won’t lose another mama to some man.”

Blustering winds uprooted trees and sent them flying. Had it not been for the timely manner of Ginkotsu’s canons, he would have been hit by the stray trunks headed towards the group. Aiyuki ran off as the winds picked up, disappearing within the remaining darkness of the forest. 

Bankotsu got back on to his feet and heard the rasping gasp coming from the ground below. Suddenly, there was a hand grabbing one of his ankles while an undead samurai rapidly dug its way out of the soil. “How could you even think about taking a mother away from a little girl? You’re a special kind of monster.” It said. 

The undead samurai was impaled by Bankotsu’s zanbato. “Come on guys!” Bankotsu shouted, leading the others to follow suit through the dangling trees. Winds became harsher the closer Bankotsu got to the castle gates. He would have been blown away had it not been for Kyokotsu running to his side and blocking off the wind with his massive size.

“Thanks!” Bankotsu said, giving Kyokotsu a reassuring smile. 

Getting past the gates was only the beginning of their problems as they were faced with the court of undead soldiers. “Aiyuki-Hime doesn’t want anyone taking her mama away. Is that so evil?” they said in unison. 

Bankotsu watched as Aiyuki disappeared into the castle. A stream of flames made short work of a small group of undead soldiers. 

Renkotsu wiped his mouth. “I’ll take care of these bastards, go inside!” he said before swinging his metallic wires and lassoing another group. They were ignited only seconds after being captured by Renkotsu’s unforgiving grasp.

Ginkotsu chuckled as he fired off his canons once more. “Gersh, eat some gunpowder.” 

Jakotsu and Suikotsu ran to Bankotsu’s side. “We’ll cover you!” 

Bankotsu smiled. “Thanks guys.” The trio headed into the castle with haste, slashing down any undead samurai that got in their way. Mukotsu and Kyokotsu stayed in the courtyard to help the others in holding off the undead. Bankotsu only looked back once before rushing into the castle corridors. 

It was not long before he found Sayaka collapsed onto the ground. Blood seeped from her mouth. 

“Sayaka, are you alright?”

She nodded. “You need to get out of here, you’re only angering her with your presence.”

“I’m not going without you.” He helped her back onto her feet and allowed her to lean against him. “Sorry for taking so long to get back from Hijiri island, we ran into a few obstacles on the way. I’m glad you were able to hold out for this long.”

The reunion was interrupted by another round of coughs, prompting Sayaka to lean against the wall. She stared out the window. “She killed everyone in the courtyard... I couldn’t stop her.” Her eyes widened as she spoke. “Oh gods, there was nothing I could do to save anyone. It is my fault for not defending her more. 

Bankotsu was irritated and cursed himself for not arriving sooner. Jakotsu and Suikotsu silently stood by as they caught on to Bankotsu’s frustrations after he slammed his fist against the wall. 

“Stop it, Sayaka. I’m not going to listen to another word of you blaming yourself; I’ll put an end to that abomination once and for all…”

She stared on in horror. “She is not an abomination… no Hanyou is.”

“Do you know why people fear the Hanyou?” Sayaka shook her head as Bankotsu spoke. “It’s because weak ass people know, deep inside, that a Hanyou child can overpower an adult if they get pissed off enough with humanity.”

Sayaka slowly stood up. “And that’s going to be your justification for killing her? You’re stronger than me, surely you can reason with her.”

“Why should I? She just made my life a lot more difficult than it needed to be by going on this blind rampage and, I assume that she is responsible for the Oni crawling around the lands.”

“It’s not her fault that she has been persecuted all her life by humans and Yokai alike.” Sayaka covered her face as she choked. “She… told me about her first memory a while ago. It was an early winter evening when the villagers chased her and her mother away from their home; they accused her of causing the bad harvest that year. Had her mother not cut through a deep forest, then they both would have been killed that evening. When the morning star shone on them once again, her mother was motionless in the snow. From that day on, she sought out a new caretaker. This whole time, it was only the lower Yokai who she had as anything resembling friends… as they simply followed her around and did not judge her as everything else did.”

Bankotsu sighed heavily. “And that is precisely why she needs to be put out of her misery. Vengeance towards humanity will follow her well into adulthood. It will be the fire which motivates her get stronger, possibly until she is strong enough that not even a powerful Daiyoukai can stand up to her. Do you want her to potentially make us all extinct, just because you feel sorry for her?”

She became silent. She knew he was right, yet she did not want to accept it. 

“Unless you can find a way to strip her of her powers, there is nothing to do except to kill her before she could reach her full potential.” Suikotsu said; even in his manic state he still tried to soften the blow of his words. From her refusal to make eye contact with anyone, it was clear that it was a reality she did not wish to accept.

Bankotsu handed her a vial. “Don’t take the whole thing at once, or you’ll die.” 

She looked over the small vial. “What’s this for?”

“It’s supposed to cure you of Shohi… just so long as you take small doses for the next few days.” He stopped in his tracks and grabbed her wrists, forcing her to make eye contact with him. “Don’t make me regret going to Hijiri Island.” She opened it and took a small sip, wincing afterwards from the bitter taste of it.

There was an awkward silence as he loosened his grip on her wrist. Once they reached the entrance of the castle, Sayaka spotted Aiyuki standing at the end of the stairs with a black pearl in her hands. 

Sayaka came down the stairs after drying the tears from her face. “Please stop this.” 

Red streams crawled down Aiyuki’s face as her black eyes stared at Sayaka vacantly. “So, is this it? You’re really going to abandon me, just like everyone else has?” She backed away from Sayaka. “What crime did I commit at birth to deserve the scorn of mortals?! I wish someone would tell me.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Sayaka choked as she hugged the child and whispered into her ear. “You can come with me to live far away from other humans. No one will hurt you again.”

A sudden force had pushed Sayaka away from Aiyuki and crashed into a pile of rubble from where the stables once were. Within seconds Bankotsu came charging at Aiyuki alongside Suikotsu and Jakotsu, with an echoing battle cry. 

A pillar of light appeared from the pearl and penetrated the skies above. Within the pillar, Bankotsu could hear the cries from the sacrificed souls. “You’re all the same… you speak sweet nothings to me just to torment me. Do you take pleasure in tormenting those you perceive being below you?”

Suikotsu dug his claws into Aiyuki’s chest, only to be pushed back by another pillar of light. Before long, Aiyuki’s body was covered in light as a thunderstorm brewed in the heavens above. 

“Ginkotsu, fire!” Renkotsu shouted as the body became much bigger than the castle. The canon fire proved useless as an azure serpentine body floated above the castle and the skull faced dragon stared down with its golden eye.

Jakotsu flickered his blade towards the head, only for the scales to deflect it. “Goddammit, the scales are thicker than any armor I’ve encountered.”

Suikotsu tried stabbing his claw onto its tail dangling above the court, watching helplessly as one claw became detached and flew away from his sight. “Fuck!” He shouted as he went to retrieve it. “What the hell do we do now?”

Jakotsu looked around. “Hey, where did Bankotsu go?!” He said, realizing that their leader was nowhere to be found. 

Ginkotsu fired off his saws, only to realize that they were ineffective against the creature. “There has to be some kind of weakness… Gersh.” 

Renkotsu nodded. “I wonder… where is the source of the light coming from? I think it might be connected to the dragon’s source of power.”

Jakotsu raised a brow. “You think so?”

\---------------------------

Somehow, Bankotsu had managed to keep his balance on the dragon’s mane with one hand while using the other to keep his zanbato in place. It kept going higher while he kept tightening his grip on the mane, looking for the first opportunity to secure his footing. 

‘If I can somehow get to the antlers, then I could stab it in the face.’

He waited until the dragon moved its head upside down to swing himself towards the antlers. Fortune was on his side as he managed to grab a hold of one antler and wrapped his arm around it. With one hand on the edge of the antler and regaining his balance on the dragon’s head, Bankotsu rose his zanbato. 

“Do you know why I called my weapon Banryu?” He said, not caring about whether Aiyuki could understand human speech in her state. “Because I had this forged from the tooth of a fallen dragon that was said to have only been defeated by a Daiyoukai General!”

Even with only one free arm, managed to impale the dragon’s forehead with the force of a charging stallion. 

\---------------------

The dragon’s roar echoed as Renkotsu approached the rubble after spotting Sayaka. He helped Sayaka up from the rubble. “Lady Sayaka, are you alright?”

“It’s the false Shikon jewel…” she said wearily, “her power is from the dark jewel.” She pointed towards the end of the stairs before fainting again. Renkotsu’s pupils widened as he spotted the black pearl from the end of the castle stairs.

He looked over to Ginkotsu. “Blast that jewel into smithereens!” 

“Hehe, I’m way ahead of you Rennyo.” The automaton man took aim at the black pearl and fired his canons twice. The pillar of light disappeared after the second hit. 

Jakotsu, having caught on to what the other two were doing, flickered his blade towards the cracked jewel. The cracked jewel started to ooze with blood. “Hey Suikotsu!”

“Way ahead of you!” Suikotsu slashed in half with his intact claws. 

Just as the jewel dropped to the ground, the dragon came rushing towards the courtyard roaring. Renkotsu grabbed his wires after the dragon took off to the skies after briefly spotting Bankotsu digging his Banryu into the dragon’s forehead.

Kyokotsu approached Renkotsu. “Kyokotsu! When my wires grab the dragon’s head, I want you to grab an arm and bite down as hard as you can.” 

\---------------------

Blood splattered onto Bankotsu after multiple stabs into the dragon, staining its face until he was able to make out a faint trace of Aiyuki’s body just below the forehead. 

He let go of the antler and tilted his Banryu just enough that he could stab it just above the body. With only Banryu to help him keep his footing, he dug into the head of the beast until he could see cracks forming below his feet. In one swift movement, he severed the plates of bone away from the dragon’s face until he could see Aiyuki’s now deformed body. 

His heart stopped. After exposing the body, he realized that she was lifeless. ‘Did she… sacrifice herself?’ his fit of rage was stopped only for a moment before he could make out the flames from below. Tendrils appeared from the dragon’s exposed muscles right as he resumed his rampage on the malevolent beast’s head. 

When it was lowered into the court once more, its muzzle was wrapped by Renkotsu’s combustible wires. Kyokotsu attempted to stop the beast but was quickly overpowered as it angrily tossed him away before taking off to the skies once more. 

The blade of Bankotsu’s zanbato pierced through the dragon’s skull as he cut Aiyuki’s body free from the forehead. No number of tendrils from the corpse was enough to discourage the blood-soaked mercenary from continuing his handiwork. Bankotsu grabbed Aiyuki’s hand, allowing the lifeless child to dangle above the forest. 

Exhausted, the dragon collapsed onto the forest. Bankotsu let go the handle of his zanbato and went to gently place Aiyuki’s body against a nearby tree before retrieving his weapon. Banryu was dyed red by the time Bankotsu pulled it out of the skull. Fatigue caught up with him. 

He stared at the child. Aside from the blood, she had only looked like she was sleeping peacefully against the tree. Sorrow overwhelmed him as he allowed himself to be reminded of his own childhood friend. ‘Rei…’ He thought, burying his face into his free hand. 

For once, gave himself permission to be ashamed; though he was too exhausted to weep for the child. 

Renkotsu stood at the castle gates, his red kosode torn and his beige hakama had a faded color. He had a strained smile when Bankotsu caught up with him. “It’s over, isn’t it?” Exhaustion had such a hold on them both that formalities were dropped, just for a moment.”

“Yeah, I finished it off.” 

There was no pride in Bankotsu’s voice, only somber weariness. For a moment, he had forgotten why he had gone to Hijiri Island at all; lambasting himself for taking longer than he hoped. Suikotsu limped towards the two of them, groaning with each step. “Oh, that was the most fun I’ve had in a while.” Suikotsu said with a forced chuckle, leaning against the gates and panting.

Bankotsu wiped the blood from his forehead. “I’ll be back…” he said before he climbed up the stairs.   
Sayaka leaned against the wall, paler than ever. In her hand was an empty vial…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, I haven't been feel well lately.


	27. Despair

Chapter 26

It was a few summers ago when Sayaka laid her eyes onto the reality of the world outside of the fortress walls. About a year before the Nanban appeared, she saw children begging for food from the samurai who guarded her and her elder brother while on the back of her blood bay. Not too far along behind them was their cousin, Kagewaki. Back then he had just begun his own training so that he too could become a Daimyo in his own right. 

There was a young boy with cobalt eyes and unkept ponytail not too far from her sights. Judging by his worn clothes, he was out in the woods collecting kindle for far too long. 

Sayaka brought her horse to a stop and pointed towards the impoverished village they were passing by. “Hanzo… shouldn’t we try helping those people?” She asked, with a twinkle of hope in her grey eyes. The boy collapsed under the weight of the kindle, only making Sayaka more anxious to help. 

Hanzo scoffed. “Why should we? It’s none of our business that they were too weak to defend themselves against the rivalling forces. We’ve got our own problems to worry about.” 

“But that boy has collapsed!” Sayaka hopped off her horse and rushed over to the boy’s side. Before she had the chance to even ask if he was alright, Hanzo ran to her side. 

“His fate has no bearing on us, nor can we afford to waste any further time.” Hanzo snarled. Words did nothing to dissuade Sayaka from trying to free the boy from the kindle and try to shake him to wake up. 

Hanzo yanked Sayaka’s wrist, forcing her back onto her feet before delivering an echoing slap across the face. “Sayaka, enough with this stupidity! You can’t afford to be this altruistic when we are up north, do you understand?! Get back on your horse before I beat the shit out of you.”

“Yes Hanzo.” Was all she could muster to say, holding back the desire to shed her tears before him. She quietly got back onto her horse and kicked its sides, following the samurai who moved on. 

Behind her, Kagewaki shook his head in disapproval and rode towards Hanzo. “Don’t you think you were too harsh with Lady Sayaka?” he said once they were directly next to each other. 

Hanzo scowled and looked away from Kagewaki. “Mind your own business, this doesn’t concern you!” 

“I think your treatment of her is unwarranted.” Kagewaki said with a sigh as he readjusted his crimson helmet. “If you keep treating her like she is someone to be ordered around, then she will run away with the first man who shows her the first signs of kindness. She just might resent you enough to have that man slay you as though you were an Oni.”

“It’s alright, I don’t need to be defended.” Sayaka said, smiling softly as she listened to Kagewaki’s words. At the time, Akihiko’s childhood promises to marry her when they both reached adulthood was more than enough to maintain her sanity. Visions of the beautiful woman she’d grow up to become alongside the handsome young Daimyo gave her enough reason to wake up each morning. 

Then there was Kagewaki, who always came to her defense whenever he noticed anyone bullying Sayaka. He was only four or so years older than her, yet he behaved as though he was twenty years her senior. 

When she reached the northern fortress, she was isolated to one room and stared out the window to watch helplessly as the four seasons drifted past her.

‘I’m trapped… no matter what I do, I always get trapped.’

All she wanted to do was run out into the snow and bask in all its frigidness, without a care in the world. Overwhelmed by her desire for clean air, she took off in the middle of the night and ran towards a forest. 

She stopped in her tracks. Above her, the sky shifted into a bright red hue as a flock of three eyed crows approached her. Sayaka watched as the crows landed in front of her before they disappeared into a shadowy mass.

Sayaka then looked down to see she was standing on a mountain of samurai corpses. On every tree, there were at least four brave warriors hanging from the ends of ropes. She collapsed onto her knees and covered her mouth. ‘Are these all the men who have died for my sake?’ Sayaka couldn’t stop the overflowing tears.

“They all had names… families… someone who cared about them. In my pursuit, I’ve robbed them. I’ve robbed every single one of these people. To what end?” A river of blood drifted past Sayaka’s ankles as she wept. “For nothing.”

Akihiko emerged from the shadows the crows formed. He placed a hand on Sayaka’s head and whispered into her ear. “Indeed, it was for nothing. I’m sure he despises you for all of this trouble…” She turned around, widening her eyes as she saw a faceless Bankotsu standing in the distance over the corpses of his fallen comrades. “There is no doubt you’ve planted the seeds for his eventual downfall.”

“Why can’t I just die—so that I can stop causing trouble for people?”

Aiyuki appeared from the shadows and knelt beside Sayaka, with a smile. “If you die, then everything will be in vain. Why throw it away?”

Sayaka covered her face with her hands. “Then what do I do to atone for my sins? To become less of a burden on others, short of dying?”

Akihiko smiled and kept his hand placed on her head. “If you pledge loyalty to Lord Naraku, the saviour of this realm, then I can make your pain go away as soon as you wake up. You will be able to live quietly, without troubling anyone ever again so long as you keep your distance.”

She wiped her tears. “Then it shall be done…”

Amid the smouldering courtyard, mutilated corpses were the first to greet Narusegawa as she returned with her army. Aside from the troops who stood behind her, there was not a single living soul within the court.

“Who could have easily overwhelmed my men here?” Narusegawa asked, dismounting from her steed. She traced her hand against the damaged walls. No relief would arrive for her until she stepped foot into the castle itself, where just about everything inside was intact for the most part aside from the miserable corpses of the guards. 

‘Who would attack a base without taking any of our supplies?’ Without even as much as ransacking in the interiors of the castle?’ she tried to recall the names of anyone whom she made an enemy out of. While the list was a long one, she had always made sure to eliminate entire clans of her enemies- sparing not even women or children in her rampages. 

“It was the Band of Seven…” Narusegawa spun around, spotting Yuzuru standing to her left. “Oh my, you should have been there to see they massacred your military before their leader took off with your diplomat on a horse. And then they decimated every village within distance from here- it was frightening!” 

Narusegawa glared at Yuzuru. “Who are you?”

Yuzuru bowed his head like a gentleman. “Nothing more than an observer, Daimyo. It pains me that there was nothing I could do to stop those mercenaries. Oh, the sound of those children begging for mercy haunts me even now.”

Narusegawa rose her hand in the air and shook her head. “That is enough, I wish to hear no more of this. Their deaths will be avenged, by my hand.” She walked through the empty corridors, plagued by guilt and sorrow.

‘I have the strength to save many, yet I can’t even save one life?!’ she peered out from the ledge, watching as her troops already began burying the deceased. ‘What was I thinking to even trust blood thirsty sell swords in the first place? The price which I am paying for my naivetés is far too high.’

Yuzuru chortled as he walked away from Narusegawa. 

At first he thought that fortune was smiling upon him when Sayaka vomited most of the medicine a few hours after they arrived at the base—it meant that her body rejected the large ingestion just enough that she still had a chance at survival.

It had now been three days since the last time she woke up. No matter how much Bankotsu tried to shake her to wake up, she did not even stir. He had no idea if she would ever wake up again.

He stared at the clear grey skies, just outside of the fortress that they called their home base for some time. There was no mistake, he knew they would have to relocate soon. Narusegawa, famous for her temper, would no doubt misunderstand and lash out at the mercenaries if the idea crossed her mind. 

How would he be able to explain how the courtyard became a mass grave, or how the villages were in a smouldering state? It was at a time like this he wished that the Band of Seven’s reputation would not work against his case. 

‘Did you want to die?’ Her state of mind was the last thing he wanted to cross his mind; he grabbed the handle of his zanbato and walked away from the fortress without as much as uttering a word to his companions. 

The passage of time was meaningless to him as he found himself deep in the woods, near a bog crawling with all sorts of lowly Yokai. Rage and despair blinded him to the dangers surrounding him. He swung his zanbato towards the first Yokai he spotted; a large lizard which was sleeping peacefully on top of a hill, with two boulders shaped like horn.

By the time the creature woke up, it was far too late to defend itself as Bankotsu decapitated it in one swift movement. 

Beneath him, the earth opened to reveal a sharp set of teeth. The giant’s eyes spotted Bankotsu, though it proved to be far too late as he impaled his zanbato through one of its eyes. He let out an echoing battle cry as he proceeded to cut through the monster’s skull.

‘Why the fuck can’t the gods just leave me alone?’ He proceeded to cut down every monster in his path that dared attack after killing the giant. His rampage had come to an end, the forest littered with the corpses of dead Yokai.

He stopped when he saw Sayaka standing at the end of a hilltop, with a distant gaze. 

She stood there, dressed in loose sleepwear with an unmoving face. He watched her stumble down the steep hill and went to catch her before she fell. “Sayaka… you’re awake!” His happiness would be short lived as he noticed her vacant eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong? If you’re playing some joke on me, it isn’t funny.”

There was a sound she made, but it didn’t form into anything resembling coherent speech. 

Jakotsu slid down the hill. “Oh, there you are Big Brother.” He approached the two of them. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with her, but she’s been behaving all weird and shit since she got up. She didn’t even bother to get changed before running out the door screaming.”

“Screaming for what?” 

“Nothing. If there’s anything that drug did, it for sure made her insane. So, where should we dump her- if not just outright kill her?”

Color drained from Bankotsu’s face. “Leave her?”

“Oh please, don’t tell me that you intend to be her caretaker or something? It’s her own fault she’s in the state she is, so don’t feel too bad about leaving her at some brothel or with another warlord- she’ll have shelter at least.”

Bankotsu gritted his teeth. 

Jakotsu then took back his earlier suggestion. “Okay, maybe that’d be a little too harsh. Why not at a small, remote village where she can at least stay out of trouble? She’s already caused you enough of that.”

“Yeah but…” his hand started trembling on Sayaka’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t understand. The one person I had the strength to save is someone I cannot save. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Jakotsu frowned. “Like it or not, we need to get back to work. The longer we stay here, the more work we miss out on; and unfortunately, I don’t think we have much more time.”

“Then tell the others to go on without me… for now. Don’t let me drag you down with me. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” Bankotsu grabbed Sayaka’s wrist and walked away, not even taking a minute to take in the shocked expression on Jakotsu’s face. 

The last of the autumn leaves flew past Bankotsu as he walked through the forest of bare trees. Without a map or destination in mind, Bankotsu wandered aimlessly with the feeble-minded woman next to him- who occasionally would smile whenever a leaf fluttered past her. She pranced ahead of him like a doe, without a care that her obi was coming loose. He impaled his zanbato into the soil and watched her.

‘I couldn’t save you from yourself, it seems. What the hell were you thinking anyway, to try to take your own life like that?’ 

She ran back towards him with childlike glee, tripping on her way back. As if by instinct, he caught her and allowed her to lean into his chest. He ran his fingers through her sun-bleached hair.

‘Or maybe you didn’t mean to… will I ever know?’

He did nothing as her shoulders were being slowly exposed. Her expression shifted into concern when he tightened his grip onto her. 

‘There’s nothing I can do for you now…’

Suddenly, Yuzuru was standing in front of them. “Have you made up your mind, mercenary?” Bankotsu looked down at Sayaka and then back at Yuzuru. “I can help you, if you were to so much as wish it.”

Bankotsu gritted his teeth and ran his fingers through Sayaka’s locks. “Fine. I’ll play along with your little game, only if you can guarantee her safety.”

“Oh, I can do that, by guiding her back to her grandfather’s domain. She will be safe so long as you stay alive; the minute you die, she dies.” Yuzuru said, holding his hand out towards Bankotsu. “All it will cost is for you to swear your loyalty to Naraku. Loyalty that will remain from even beyond the grave.”

“And all I’ll have to do is stay alive?” Yuzuru nodded. “Then so be it. I’m strong enough to hold up my end of the bargain.”


	28. Downfall

Chapter 27

“I’ll keep her safe until the day you die… and then you’ll be obligated to serve Naraku long after you’ve died.”

Yuzuru’s words echoed through Bankotsu’s head. 

Sayaka stared off into the distance, without a care in the world for her surroundings. All she cared about was following the three eyed crow while Bankotsu remained behind; it was the least he could at this point. He dreaded to think what could happen to her if he just let her go alone.

‘She’d be sold off to a warlord as a concubine.’ The thought of simply handing her off to her relatives infuriated him enough, let alone anyone but him touching him. It was thanks to a tip off he received from Renkotsu earlier in the week that her cousin was Kagewaki Hitomi. Much to his relief, of all the stories he heard of Kagewaki none of them were negative.

Bankotsu knew he couldn’t keep her around, not in this state. It was an uncomfortable truth he had to live with. ‘Why not kill her so that she won’t be at risk of being enslaved? She’s nothing more than a burden.’ He flinched at the thought—although he was a cold killer, he still tried to reserve a sense of honor to those close to him. 

The dainty woman turned around and smiled whimsically at him for a second. 

‘No, I’m not abandoning her; this is temporary.’ He pressed his fingers against his temple. ‘Get a hold of yourself, she’ll only be there until she feels better and I’m in a better position to protect her.’

He grabbed her sleeve before she could hop off from a cliff. “Knock it off.” He growled. Kagewaki’s castle stood at a distance, it looked so small that it reminded Bankotsu of the miniature replica castles the Nanban made from boredom. 

“Hey, from here on out you’re going to be living in there with your cousin. I’ll be back for you.” Bankotsu said, pulling Sayaka in close. “Don’t do anything stupid, or you’ll regret it.” Could she understand him? Probably not as she rose her hand in the air, crying out for the three eyed crow. 

Aside from his companions, Sayaka was the only other thing in this world he never wanted to see harm befall. He made a silent vow to completely decimate this territory should anything happen to her before he returned to reclaim her. 

He savoured every passing second; she was in his arms before she broke free of grasp to chase the crow. ‘As long as I don’t die, she should be fine… right?’ he tightened the grip on Banryu’s pommel and fought off the urge to spill tears. 

All he could do was relish in the simmering rage towards his circumstances. ‘I’ll decimate every follower of Naraku’s. Man, woman or child… any who swear loyalty to him will die by hands.’

A tranquil oceanside village was wrapping up their harvesting season. Children were finally free to play their silly games and the elderly could take a moment to enjoy watching the seasons as it transitioned into autumn. 

A group of children wandered towards a decrepit temple, where three eyed crows flocked to watch them. “I’m glad the grown ups are letting us rest!” One child said as he tossed a ball to his friend. 

“Mom says it’s because the village accepted Naraku as their god.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, our village leader got converted and it’s brought us some good luck it seems.”

Blades pierced through the child’s chest. The horrified children backed away as Suikotsu yanked his claws from the tiny body, forming a twisted smile on his face as he easily overpowered them and soaked his claws into their bodies as well.

Flames consumed the Minkas. Panicked oxen and horses darted around the village; some having been caught in the crossfires of Renkotsu’s stream of flames. Blood curdling screams from the women echoed through the village, enough to haunt any passerby. 

Bankotsu smirked, satisfied to see those whom he labelled degenerates begging for him to show mercy. He caught word of their recent proclamation to Naraku; the same cult which spread Shohi without a second thought. It was unforgivable- if not for them, he would’ve never needed to grab the poppies to try and save Sayaka. 

She’d probably still be sane.

He cared not to hear them plead for their lives. If anything, it fed into his bloodlust. Heads and limbs of the villagers flew into the air with each flicker of Jakotsu’s blades. Every confrontation came to a halt with a single swing of Banryu. ‘They fucking deserve to die!’ It repeated through his head over and over, with the screams of terror being drowned out by the voice. 

He spotted a lone girl stumbling away from him. Instead of leaving her be, he decided to give chase as soon as she thought she was out of his eyesight. 

The girl made a fatal turn, tripping over a stone as Bankotsu wasted no time in catching up with her. “Please, I’ll do anything for you if you let me live…” she pleaded on her knees with her hands held together. 

“Your entire village committed an unforgivable sin.”

“What did we do?!”

Bankotsu answered with only a single swipe of his Banryu, decapitating the girl where she pleaded. 

Soon there was nothing but silence. Neither smouldering homes nor scattered corpses could have provoked remorse within Bankotsu. In an instant a satisfied smile crept on his face as he watched the shrine burn down. He wondered how long it took. Not that it mattered, hearing their screams had made him forget about his own sorrows. 

Renkotsu didn’t share Bankotsu’s joy, instead frowning at the sight of the blazing shrine. “Does it upset you?” Bankotsu asked, catching on to Renkotsu’s dismay. 

“You know as well as I do that burning places of worship leaves a bad taste in my mouth. No matter how many of them I burn down, I never get used to the sorrows of watching the beautiful artwork lost in the flames.” Renkotsu turned his gaze towards Bankotsu with jaded eyes, “I know it’s something you cannot possibly begin to understand.”

Bankotsu snorted and rested his zanbato against his shoulder. “You’re right, I think it’s stupid to get upset over things like that. I’d gladly trade in artwork to ensure that Lady Sayaka is avenged.”

Renkotsu shook his head. “So, that’s what this is about. Talk about a waste of time.”

“I wouldn’t be talking if I were you. Didn’t you try to track down some guy for seven years?”

Renkotsu clenched his fists and glared at Bankotsu like an enraged dragon. “Don’t you dare.” He growled, pointing his finger. “Don’t you dare compare your current plight to my old one. I’ll have you know that the day I lost my home temple was the day I lost everything, from my master to my trusted brothers. I spent years perfecting my talents in wielding fire as my main weapon when I fought along other Sohei- all so I could honor my Master!” 

Bankotsu was taken aback- he never had his second in command talk back to him. It was then Bankotsu was starting to realize that Renkotsu’s grievances ran far deeper than the blazing shrine. “Now let me mourn in peace. I don’t want to hear your opinion on the matter.” Renkotsu said, clenching his fists as he turned his sights back to the dancing flames. “It is the flames which bring me great comfort.”

Decimating one village wasn’t enough to satisfy Bankotsu’s thirst for carnage. He wanted more. 

And so, for the next four months he continued to the path of wiping out villages when there were no battle zones to wander into; but only those which served no purpose to him. 

As more villages fell victim to the Band of Seven, word of their brutality became even more widespread than their previous accomplishments. Their brutality overshadowed Shohi and the famine which had already crippled many territories. 

Narusegawa wished that there were more she could have done to help the commoners who were loyal to her and yet, all she could do was promise her loyalty in return. It wasn’t until one of O-Yakata’s own soldiers invited her to his castle to discuss urgent matters regarding the Band of Seven did she leave her own dwelling. If there was anything Narusegawa was confident in, it was that she was one of the few warlords who had a chance to stand toe to toe with Bankotsu.

She’d seen how he fought multiple times during the campaign against Hanzo; if there was one thing he was lacking in, it was speed. Mao-Ouji was the fastest stallion in the lands. The black stallion was technically a Hanyou; his dam was a horse Yokai and his sire was no more than an ordinary horse. He was much taller than any bear in the land and towered over ordinary steeds. 

As Narusegawa rode to O-Yakata’s castle, fond memories of taming Mao-Ouji flooded her mind. He was a wild colt with a fiery temper and was already the size of an ordinary horse by the time he was a yearling. 

At the very least, remembering the past made time drift by smooth enough that Narusegawa barely remembered reaching O-Yakata’s castle gates. 

It was none other than General Kaneda who greeted her as soon as the gates opened. “It is an honor to be in your presence.” He said, bowing his head as her stallion walked past the general. Narusegawa had not forgotten their earlier summer skirmishes. Had it not been for Kaneda hiring on the Yokai bandits to raid the Nanban Market, then perhaps Narusegawa could have convinced them to stay for just a week longer so that she could propose her own ideas for improving the matchlock flint rifles.

She said nothing to Kaneda, opting to keep their exchanges as bare minimum as possible. It wasn’t until Mao-Ouji came to a complete halt did the first winds of winter nip at Narusegawa’s cheek, bringing her the grim realization of how long it had been since Miyamoto and Akihito left their realm. 

‘It really was all for nothing, wasn’t it?’ Narusegawa grimaced at the thought and then tied Mao-Ouji’s reins to a post. She found herself longing for Akihito’s wisdom. The descendant of the great dog general truly was the better Daimyo than she was, even if she were the better fighter- a fact she did not want to confront.

‘What would life be like if I never left the Taijiya village—where would I be right now?’ for a second, she daydreamed a life where she was acting as Sango’s moral guidance in place of her late mother, while the village chief would take her own as his new wife.

Narusegawa shook her head and focused on reality once more. ‘That’s right, my ambitions far surpassed the Taijiya. I wanted to prove that I was just as capable of my grandfather as ruling… and I wanted to assemble an army with the skills of Taijiya.’

Her cape fluttered in the wind before she took refuge within the walls of the castle. It was eerily quiet, with Kaneda guiding her through the corridors. 

“I am grateful that you were able to arrive on such short notice.” Kaneda said as their footsteps echoed through the empty halls. “It’s imperative that all the warlords collaborate just this once to stop the ever growing menace plaguing us. I’ve seen the full extent of their brutality.”

Narusegawa scoffed underneath her mask. “So have I. They’re nothing more than sell swords with exaggerated legends.”

A door slid open and a familiar face poked her head out, smiling wryly when she saw Narusegawa. “Lady Sayaka!” Narusegawa approached her. “It’s good to see you’re alright and not being held captive. How did you escape their wrath?” Sayaka gazed at Narusegawa. For a second, it seemed as though Sayaka recognized her former Daimyo and approached her with her hands stretched out. 

Yuzuru’s words echoed through Narusegawa’s head. “Oh my, you should have been there to see they massacred your military before their leader took off with your diplomat on a horse. And then they decimated every village within distance from here- it was frightening!” 

It was when Sayaka got closer did Narusegawa realize that the girl was dressed in layers that almost concealed her pregnancy and came a horrifying conclusion. ‘So, this is what has become of my former diplomat. What a shame you became like this; you were the only person I could confide in.’ Without caring about Kaneda’s presence, Narusegawa pulled Sayaka into a tight embrace. ‘He did this to you while keeping you prisoner, didn’t he?’ 

Narusegawa caught the remorseful glimpse from Kaneda as he walked past her.

Kagewaki walked out of another room, prompting Narusegawa to break the embrace. “Lady Sayaka, go back in there. Last thing we need is for you to be victimized once more.” He walked over and guided Sayaka back inside her quarters before bowing his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She’s been like this ever since she wandered back here. Something terrible must have happened to her in your absence.”

“Whatever that damned sell-sword did to her crushed her spirits.” Narusegawa said through gritted teeth. “If my suspicions are true, then I will put his head on a pike and ride around the country with it until I fall dead.”

Kagewaki sorrowfully shook his head. “I’m afraid not even that would restore her.” He pointed down the hallway. “The other lords are waiting for you down the hall. Follow me.” He said. 

‘So, this is Kagewaki. I can see why Sayaka spoke of her so fondly.’ Narusegawa thought as she followed Kagewaki into the war room. Upon entering the room, Narusegawa was met with several bows from the lords- including Lord Asano who was notorious for propping himself up as an Emperor.

Narusegawa looked around the room, seeking O-Yakata’s approval before speaking. “As you all know by now, there is a group of seven sell swords capable of doing the work of hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers. For a long time, they’ve been contained on the battlefield. However, this is no longer the case.” She clenched her fists. “Men… women… children…. They’ve been on the receiving end of their bloodlust as of late. It is time we put an end to their senseless carnage or there will be many more casualties.”

Asano rose his head, wide eyed with concern. “How can we pull of such a feat? I’ve seen firsthand how destructive they are.”

“That is precisely why I have summoned you all here. We must come up with a strategy to execute them before they overthrow all of us, murdering more along the way.” O-Yakata said, with a hand raised in the air. He turned over to Narusegawa and nodded, giving her the cue to continue. 

“In order for this plan to work, we need to bait them into walking right into a trap. If we were to send them off to go destroy a village that is a three day ride from here, it will give us enough time to assemble our armies together to trap them.” Narusegawa removed the fabric from the blade of her axe and trace the edges of it with a finger. “With enough archers, infantry and cavalry we could overwhelm them in an initial ambush. If they manage to survive the stream of arrows, chase them up the mountains where I’ll chop their heads off.” 

Kaneda’s spine froze as he spoke up. “You mean… all of them, right?”

“Do you have a problem with that, General Kaneda?” Narusegawa asked with a piercing glare. 

“No.” Kaneda paused after quivering his lips into a resenting scowl. “I’ll put the plan in motion by calling them out here for a request.”


	29. Execution Part 1

Chapter 28

Kaneda’s spine stiffened as the mercenaries entered the courtyard. There wasn’t a thing in the world that could bring down their merry mood, or so Kaneda thought. They approached Kaneda with restrained bloodlust in their eyes.

“Who is that?” Jakotsu asked. Kaneda almost flinched- how could they not remember that battle which devastated his supply base? He was almost insulted that they must have forgotten his name. His offense morphed into terror- they’ve been through so many battle zones that his name carried no significance to them. 

“The Samurai-Daisho of this castle.” Renkotsu answered.

Jakotsu rose a brow. “What? Isn’t the lord himself going to appear?” 

“So, what have you summoned us here for?” Bankotsu inquired, fixated on Kaneda as he waited to hear out the general.

Kaneda clenched his fists as he made eye contact with the mercenary, desperate to forget his own blood ties to the man. Yet, he couldn’t push the memory of little Kenta away. For a moment, all he could see was the child he abandoned almost two decades earlier. 

It was remembering the cries of his distraught wife that made him remember why he was going through with having his own firstborn executed—no matter how much attachment he felt towards Bankotsu, the chances of forgiveness were severed when Daisuke was crippled. 

“I’d like for you to attack the southeastern base.”

“An advance guard?” Bankotsu asked.

“If the rumours of your strength are true, then it should be easy work.” Kaneda said, careful not to remind them of their skirmish from months ago. 

“Only if the money is right.”

“Our lord has instructed me to pay whatever you demand.” 

“Then, we’ll accept.”

Hearing those words made Kaneda realize the finality of his decision; there was no turning by this point. He had just sentenced his firstborn to death. Kaneda remained silent as he watched them leave, careful not to reveal any emotion through his menpo. 

He walked away from the other guards once there was no sign of the sell swords. Kaneda returned to his own quarters without saying a word to anyone and gave himself to tremble only when he was sure no one could catch him. He took off his menpo and blankly stared out the nearest window until he heard the door slide open.

“Was that Kenta?” Kaneda turned around to glance at his wife before he resumed viewing the courtyard. “Go catch up with him and tell him he’s living with us!”

“Have you gone mad, my love?” Kaneda said, still refusing to make eye contact with her.

“He’s your only son!” She said, holding back sobs. “Isn’t it enough that we’ve already lost Daisuke?”

Kaneda grabbed her wrist. “Have you forgotten that he is the reason Daisuke became crippled in the first place? I don’t like it either, but if must be done before he has the potential to overthrow every shogun in the country.”

“That’s only possible if he has an army. Declare him as your legal son and he will have no reason to continue his word as a sell sword.” The lady said, putting her hands together as she pleaded Kaneda to reconsider his decision.

Kaneda let her go without breaking his gaze. “I don’t think Kenta would want to come with us willingly. I would have to execute his comrades first, so that he will have nothing to return to.”

“Then so be it!”

“If I do that, then he will spend the rest of his life carrying that vengeance in his heart. A vengeance that will haunt both of us, no matter how well he is treated. Do you want that?”

Tears welled up in her eyes. There was nothing more Kaneda could say, not even a word of comfort to soothe his distraught wife.

‘This is way too easy.’ Bankotsu thought as he cut down every foot soldier in his way. Normally there’d have been at least a dozen or so archers giving them a stream of arrows before they’d break the walls down to begin their slaughter. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that none of the soldiers were putting an effort into defending their territory. 

A few soldiers made the fatal mistake of charging at Bankotsu, with half hearted battle cries. ‘Only men with a death wish would blindly charge at us like this!’ He thought as he cut them all down with his zanbato. He didn’t know whether to be disappointed or suspicious. They couldn’t all be suicidal enough to behave this way- was it even possible without a common cause?

Not even the Daimyo put up much resistance when Suikotsu charged at him with his claws drawn. The Daimyo barely begged for mercy. By the time, every soldier was dead, Bankotsu noticed that even their armor was lacking compared to most bases—not even the Daimyo had sufficient armor on.

The frigid winds nipped at Bankotsu as they left the smouldering base. ‘An army of children would’ve been able to take out these guys. Why did that lord need us to take them out at whatever price they demanded when they could’ve easily done it?’ 

One look at Renkotsu confirmed that he was starting to reach the same conclusions that Bankotsu was coming to, but he desperately wanted to brush them off. ‘Maybe this was going to be a pain in the ass for them, so they want us to do their dirty work for them.’

He lost track of how much time passed. One moment he was at the blazing castle and the next the group had settled down around some boulders, just under a hill, to take a quick break before reporting to Kaneda. 

Despite the dropping temperature, Bankotsu was glad to have some downtime with his fellow sell swords. Upon looking around a little more, he realized that he remembered walking through this forest before. ‘Sayaka… I’ll take you back soon.’

He hoped that she was in O-Yakata’s castle; so that when the time came, he could take her back by force. Settling down in an unknown village with her wasn’t out of the question yet- he figured it would be better that way. ‘I doubt any of them would want to go this route. I guess I’ll have to fake my death or something if I were to do that.’ He thought, putting a blade of grass in his mouth as to avoid accidentally blurting out his plans. Bankotsu knew too well that it was unlikely they’d take his abdicating his role kindly- not after all they’ve been through.

Which is why he knowing he’d have to convince them that he died in the flames of O-Yakata’s burning castle; perhaps stage it as a futile rescue. But when? He hadn’t thought that far ahead. ‘For now, I’ll bask in the chaos and let her heal… if it’s possible.’ 

“That was easy!” Suikotsu said, sitting down on one of the boulders with a wicked grin.

Jakotsu sighed and leaned against Suikotsu. “How disappointing.” He traced the tip of his finger against the handle of his blade. 

Ginkotsu scoffed. “Gersh… no kidding.” 

“What a pathetic excuse of a Daimyo he was.” Jakotsu said, looking up to Suikotsu. “He didn’t even put effort into begging you for mercy when you caught up with him.” 

“Say big brother, isn’t it time that we seize a castle and claim it for ourselves? We could finally establish ourselves as rulers.” Renkotsu said, breaking the air of disappointment. “With the wealth we’ve accumulated over time, we could make the dream a reality.”

Bankotsu almost forgot about the brief dream he discussed with Renkotsu ages ago; the only thing he looked forward to anymore was the thrill of battle. “That would be too much of a pain.” He answered with his arms crossed. “Do you want to become a Shogun?”

Renkotsu defensively raised his hands in the air. “I wouldn’t dream of overstepping you.”

“I could help you fulfill your dream; you know. Who knows how many more bones will be needed to pave that path? It’s exciting for me.”

“I second that.” Jakotsu added with a wistful sigh.

Suikotsu chuckled and wrapped an arm around Jakotsu. “We can kill until we’re bored. By the time we get to that point, there will still be many left to kill.” The tranquility was shorted lived. A chorus of battle cries echoed through the forest and armed men emerged from the bushes with their arrows drawn. 

Kaneda peered down from the hilltop on horseback, alongside other cavalrymen. 

Bankotsu stood up along with the others and shouted, “Hey! I thought we were the advance guard!” He watched in horror as his earlier suspicions were coming to fruition; he hoped that there was a mistake of sorts on Kaneda’s end.

Then, there was a dreadful silence that hung over the atmosphere after Bankotsu spoke. He then realized that this was an ambush. “You have all grown far too dangerous to be wandering these lands any longer.” Kaneda’s voice boomed.

“Did you change your mind about paying us?” Bankotsu’s hopes of getting paid were dwindling. He was no stranger to being ambushed, having survived much worse than he had seen around him. Yet, he started having flashbacks to when Ryutaro’s militia was ambushed in a similar manner.

“There have been far too many needless deaths by your hands. It matters not whom you are aligned with, we can no longer allow you to live.” Bankotsu could feel the shock that the other men were feeling as he listened to Kaneda’s death sentence.

“You think you can defeat us?” he said, lifting Banryu and tightening his grip on it. If he had to, he would go into a blind rage and kill everyone who crossed his path. Snow gently drifted over them.

“Even if you were to bypass the archers, there is nowhere for you to run!” Kaneda rose his hand. Even from where Bankotsu stood, he could see the general trembling just a little before lowering his hand to cue the archers.

“Run!” Bankotsu shouted before the first wave of arrows appeared. The world around him slowed down, all he could focus on was out pacing the ambush before the second wave could graze his group. He had no time to look back, watching as his comrades sprinted past him as his zanbato shielded some of the arrows from him in the meantime.

The dense forest ahead of them only gave them a temporary shield from the ambush. Renkotsu stopped for only an instant to grab his gourd and set the forest behind them ablaze when the infantry forces got too close to them. “This’ll buy us a little more time!” He shouted as he scrambled to catch up with the other mercenaries. 

Kaneda stared in disbelief as there were no bodies in sight. He rode down to the ground, looking for any signs of their deaths. Instead, all he could find were scattered arrows. “How did they get away?!” he shouted at the remaining infantry who were in just as much disbelief. “Don’t just stand there, hunt them down!”

Screams of the soldiers echoed from the forest. Kaneda kicked his horse into a gallop and made his way through the forest. Before he could proceed any further, smoke stung his eyes as the forest caught fire. 

One archer rushed to Kaneda’s side. “Sir, we’re going to need the reinforcements! One of the mercenaries set our forces ablaze.”

“I told you that openly ambushing them wouldn’t work, so I devised my own plan.” Narusegawa said as she rode in on her hanyou stallion. “Which is why I’ve ordered my cavalry to chase them up to the mountain village, where they will be cornered.” She gently traced her finger along the edge of her axe without drawing blood. 

Kaneda clenched his hands onto the reins. “Why aren’t you pursuing them yourself?”

Mao-Ouji pawed at the frozen grass below him while Narusegawa patted his neck. “None of them can outrun Mao-Ouji.”

None of the mercenaries were sure how much time passed since they started fleeing, but once they were in the heart of the forest, they killed all soldiers whom they crossed paths with. It wasn’t until Renkotsu’s fire started to catch up with them did they continue running. 

“What do we do now?” Jakotsu asked after cutting down the last of soldiers before they sprinted down their path. A snowstorm started to pick up.

“We keep going until they lose sight of us!” Bankotsu shouted. “We’ve been through worse than this, it’s just a matter of making sure there are no survivors on their end.” 

Truth was, he knew deep down that there was no escape from this short of a miracle. The first snowstorm picked up as things got quieter around them. Yet, Bankotsu had no intention of slowing down as he continued to make his way out of the forest.

Renkotsu panted. “How were we daft enough to not see that we were set up? It was far too good to be true.”

Bankotsu shook his head. “Lesson learned, I guess.” He said with a strained smile, trying his best to calm down and think up the best escape route. Four flew past the group of mercenaries, followed by the sound of approaching hoof beats. 

Ginkotsu fired off his canons. His chuckles hissed through his metal mask as the cavalry archers were knocked off their horses. “Gersh. That’ll take care of those ones.” His eye followed Mukotsu, who waddled ahead of them. “What are you doing?”

Mukotsu knelt and rummaged through the sack he carried with him over his back. He then held up a canister and presented it to Ginkotsu. “Setting a trap for our pursuers. I’ll stay here as bait and then, when they pass this boulder, I’ll set this canister off. It’ll release a poison that will travel for several meters.” He looked up with a toothy grin. “Then, once they’ve all fallen, I’ll move over to the next boulder and repeat the cycle until it’s safe enough to catch up with you guys.”

Renkotsu looked to his left and spotted a forest packed mountain. “We’ll be going up there. Are you sure you want to stay behind? Once we start going up there, we won’t be able to protect you.”

“I’ll be alright so long as I use my most potent formulas.” Mukotsu chortled. “If they manage to get past me, that means I’ve died. Don’t bother looking for me.”

Bankotsu tightened the grip on his Banryu. “Fine, but you better get through this.” He looked over to the mountain. “Alright, it looks like we’ll be able to shield ourselves up there; they’d need to get their best horses to catch up with us up there.”

Mukotsu watched as the group left and then went on to set his traps. He set them up so it would only take one person to knock over his canisters to set off the potent poison. With every few feet towards the mountain, Mukotsu set down another canister until he was out of them- and was pleasantly surprised by how close he was to the mountain.

He heard an echoed scream fade into choking noises. ‘So, it begins.’ Within several minutes, he watched horses collapse along with their riders after releasing the lung burning poisons. Infantry units soon faced the same fate.

A satisfied smile crossed Mukotsu’s face as the samurai collapsed into the snow, gasping for air. “Oh ho, it turns out that none of you stood a chance against the poison master himself.” He chortled to himself, as he always did whenever his last minute plans came to fruition without the guidance of Bankotsu or Renkotsu. “We better be able to retire after all of this is done, if not take a long hiatus.”

Glimmer of light from over the hill caught Mukotsu’s attention. He squinted his eyes, searching for any sign of hostiles; sighing in relief only when he couldn’t find anyone. The absence of a soldier soon became the source of anxiety for him when as he put away his equipment. 

‘It was most likely my imagination.’ Moments later he regretted letting his guard down, feeling the raging hoof beats of a black stallion approach him with haste. He screamed as soon as he saw that it was Narusegawa who was approaching him. 

Narusegawa let go of her reins and drew her axe as she chased down Mukotsu towards the mountain. Mao-Ouji let out a terrifying neigh as he got closer to Mukotsu, trampling over him with sharp hooves. As soon as Mukotsu heard the deafening crack of his own bones, he knew there was no way he would be able to catch up with the other mercenaries.

The stallion backed away from Mukotsu’s crippled body and snorted. “Hmph, how pathetic. You’re not even worthy to die by my own blade.” Narusegawa said. “If I had my way, I would simply trample you to death, but I’d rather bring your heads back to the castle… so I can show Lady Sayaka she has been avenged.”

“What?! We never did anything to her!” Mukotsu said as Narusegawa rose her axe into the air. “No, please! I think you misunderstood something!” His pleas went unheard. In a single swing, Mukotsu’s head was cleaved from his shoulders and tumbled into the snow below. 

It took only seconds for the snow to be dyed red. Samurai rushed over to Narusegawa’s side, wide eyed as they witnessed her accomplishment. “I want five of their heads impaled on a yari before I do battle with Bankotsu.” Narusegawa said as she wiped the blood from her blade. “As for the giant one, just get a group of archers to aim for his forehead as decapitation will be impossible even for me to accomplish.”

“Why?! That’ll anger him!” One samurai asked as he grabbed the top of Mukotsu’s head. 

Narusegawa could no longer hold back her urge to laugh maniacally. “Yes. I want him to come at me with all the rage he’s capable of, it’ll make him irrational. If possible, I’d like to see him beg me for the mercy he never showed Sayaka.” She rose a clenched fist into the air. “His enraged tears will make this enjoyable.”

She shuddered with excitement at the thought of Bankotsu’s devastation.

It had already been an hour since they left Mukotsu behind. When Bankotsu spotted armed cavalrymen, he realized that Mukotsu’s fate was a forgone conclusion. “Hey, we need to take cover!”

Kyokotsu searched around for a second before pushing down an avalanche of rocks and boulders down the snow covered mountain, which took out the quickest of soldiers that were gaining on them. Several more arrows flew past the mercenaries before they had time to reach the trees. 

A soft groan left Renkotsu’s lips as an arrow impaled his chest. Bankotsu saw Renkotsu collapse onto the ground and cried out. “Renkotsu!” 

Jakotsu swung his blade to take out the next wave of incomers and rushed over to Renkotsu’s side. “Suikotsu, get over here!”

Suikotsu rushed over to Renkotsu’s side. “We need to find shelter before I can treat him.” 

Groaning in pain, Renkotsu say up. “You guys need to stop being dramatic, I’ll live through this one. Bankotsu, can I lean on you for a bit?” The leader nodded. Renkotsu leaned against Bankotsu, coughing up blood as he got back on to his feet. He looked down in horror to see that the gaping wound on his chest was much worse than previously thought.

The cavalry was catching up with them by the time the village was within eye shot. Ginkotsu stopped in his tracks and turned around to face them, firing off his canons and saws. “Gersh… I’ll deal with these motherfuckers!” He briefly stared at Bankotsu after three soldiers were blown off their horses upon being hit by the canon fire. “Make sure you protect Rennyo.”

“You can’t hold them off on your own!” Bankotsu said as he remained at Ginkotsu’s side. 

Ginkotsu glared at Bankotsu after firing off his canons once more. “Will you just fucking do as I say?! You haven’t changed one bit since the day we met, Kenta.”

“Hey, what did I tell you about calling me by my real name?” Bankotsu grabbed Ginkotsu’s arm and tried to drag him, only to stop in response to Renkotsu’s groans. “Forget it, we need to keep going!”

“You and Rennyo have a long life ahead of yourselves… it’d be selfish of me to live on and let you two die on my watch.” Ginkotsu kept his focus on the monochrome landscape before him. “Bring Rennyo to safety or I will never forgive you.”

“Ginka…” Renkotsu said, looking up with pleading eyes to Ginkotsu. “Thank you.


	30. Execution Part 2

Chapter 29

Kagewaki, clad in red armor, rode up the mountain on his bay mare, observing the corpse filled trail he followed leading him up the mountain. Between the miserable corpses of soldiers who were caught in the wind of poison to those who were crushed by boulders, there was no haiku in the world Kagewaki could come up with to describe the carnage slowly behind unfolded in front of him.

Samurai armed with their tanegashima weren’t too far from Kagewaki. ‘It seems like I was right to request these men after all. They won’t be able to withstand a lot of shots from the firearms.’

“Lord Hitomi, don’t you think that Narusegawa will be more than sufficient enough to deal with the Band of Seven?” The captain of the rifle squad asked as his horse caught up with Kagewaki’s. 

Kagewaki shook his head. “While I am confident in her abilities as a warrior, I want us to be on standby in case she falls.” Seeing Mukotsu’s headless corpse was more than enough confirmation to him that Narusegawa was competent… but he knew better than to place blind faith on to anyone. “By looking at the piles of corpses already left behind, she will need all the help she can get.”

His horse stopped upon the sight of Narusegawa, whose horse stood triumphantly over the headless corpse of Ginkotsu as she ordered one of her men to put the head on another yari. 

“Hmph, they’re quite weak when they’ve been separated.” Narusegawa sighed as she wiped the blood from her blade using her crimson manto. “This one was the most disappointing; I expected a greater challenge from this walking siege weapon.”

Kagewaki looked away from the corpse and kept his gaze fixated on Narusegawa’s blue dragon scale armor. “How many of them are left.”

“Five. I intend to savour every moment of this execution.” Narusegawa tightened her grip on her axe. “All I ask is that if you encounter the leader, don’t kill him unless I have died. He is my kill.”

Kagewaki’s eyes widened. “You think you can take him on?”

“Yes, face to face. I will not tolerate any interference from anyone.” Narusegawa said, riding on as two of her soldiers held up the heads of Mukotsu and Ginkotsu on a yari. 

He followed her into the blood soaked battlefield, where Kyokotsu was rampaging through the soldiers. Soldiers were flying left and right every time Kyokotsu slammed his fists into the ground, letting out a mighty roar as they tried in vain to fight him.

Kagewaki held his arm up. “Aim for his forehead!” he shouted to his riflemen as he grabbed his own that rested over his saddle, taking aim at the enraged titan that was staring at him. 

Kagewaki pulled down the matchlock and pulled the trigger, knowing that if he were to miss his shot there wouldn’t be another chance. 

Within seconds after the firearms were set off by his squad, Kyokotsu froze in place for a second with a gaping hole in his forehead before collapsing into the snow below. Kagewaki’s horse reared upon feeling the earth shake with Kyokotsu’s fall and luckily calmed down shortly after. 

Shortly after Kyokotsu’s fall, Narusegawa ordered her men to start putting the heads on display around Kyokotsu’s body. “This is where the battle shall take place.” She said.

The snowstorm obscured Bankotsu’s vision once he spotted the abandoned village that sat upon the mountain top. Suikotsu just finished applying a crude cover over Renkotsu’s wound with two obis he pulled from the corpses. “It’s not much, but it should at least stop the bleeding for a bit.” Suikotsu said as he helped Renkotsu back onto his feet.

“I appreciate your effort.” Renkotsu grabbed his gourd. “If we can ambush them, we’ll buy ourselves enough time to get out of here without anyone spotting us… then we can move northward and start over again. We’ll need more forces than ever.”

Bankotsu couldn’t help but appreciate Renkotsu’s optimism. “We’ll talk about future plans once we get out of this mess.”

Four arrows rushed past Bankotsu and Renkotsu without hitting them. Acting on instinct, Suikotsu shoved Jakotsu away from his spot. “Jun watch out!” he shouted as they both were pushed onto the ground. For an instant, Suikotsu was on top of Jakotsu and wincing. “You need to pay more attention to your surroundings.” Suikotsu said with a smirk and got off Jakotsu, which was when he noticed that there were four arrows in the clawed man’s back.

Bankotsu and Renkotsu rushed over to Suikotsu’s side. 

Tearfully, Jakotsu shouted, “Are you insane? There was no reason for you to do that for me!” Jakotsu got up and swung his blade, taking out the archers in the distance. 

Suikotsu sat up and pulled the arrows from his back. “I’ll live. I just needed to make sure that you were alright.”

Bankotsu gritted his teeth. “I’ll take care of those incoming bastards!” he ran towards the approaching cavalry with his zanbato drawn. 

“I’ll back you up!” Renkotsu shouted, following Bankotsu with his gourd uncapped as he rose it to his mouth. 

Suikotsu was not prepared for the rapid bleeding from ripping the arrows out, collapsing into the snow. His spiked hair had collapsed and hung just over his shoulders. His brown eyes widened, and he groaned in pain. “W-what’s going on… why am I here?”

“Susumu…” Jakotsu fell to his knees and held Suikotsu close.

“Jun, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Jakotsu said soothingly. “I’ll stay with you until the end.”

“Thank you…” 

Jakotsu looked over the horizon, watching limbs fly and amid a stream of flames. He helped Suikotsu back onto his feet and searched for shelter, any shelter that would shield them from archers at the very least. He kept his blade on hand and flickered his wrist whenever anyone approached them.

He could only keep up with guarding both of their lives for so long. 

Narusegawa’s stallion was approaching at a rapid pace by the time Jakotsu spotted the pair and wasted no time in swinging his snake like blade. To his shock and horror, Narusegawa managed to deflect it with a single swing of her axe and continued onwards in earnest. 

It was as if hope was drained away from Jakotsu as Narusegawa swung her axe. “Bankotsu…” Was all Jakotsu thought to say as he realized it was too late to dodge. 

Just when Renkotsu burned down all the opponents around him, he collapsed once more as the bleeding seeped through his bandage and dripped onto the snow. He pressed his hand against his chest and became disheartened when he pulled it back. “I’m a goner.” He whispered as his face was drained of color.

Bankotsu knelt beside him and pressed against Renkotsu’s open wound once more in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. “Hold on, I’ll stop the bleeding before they catch up with us again.” 

“Go on without me, I’ll just slow you down.” Renkotsu murmured as he sunk into the snow’s cold embrace. “Be sure to avenge all of us; make them regret picking a fight with us.” His voice was rapidly getting weaker with every word spoken.

“Are you out of your mind? I would never abandon you!” unable to hold back any longer, Bankotsu allowed the tears to fall as he pulled Renkotsu up from the ground and held him tightly. “Now get up or I’ll kick your ass!”

Renkotsu closed his eyes. Bankotsu started shaking Renkotsu frantically. “Rennyo, I order you to get up or you’ll face severe consequences!” 

“Heh, I haven’t heard you call me by that name in a long time… Kenta.” Renkotsu forced himself to laugh and opened his eyes once more. “Come to think of it…. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry before.” 

Bankotsu quivered with anger as he heard more hoofbeats approach them. “The reinforcements have arrived, get up unless you want to die.” There was no response from Renkotsu. Bankotsu stared wide eyed as he felt the life fade from Renkotsu’s body; it was only then did he realize how futile it was. 

Rage boiled over him when he saw the soldiers over the horizon. “I’m going to drag all of you bastards down to hell with me.”

He reached over to his Banryu and charged at the archers in a blind rage. It was as if the world around him had gone blank as he chopped down every cavalry, samurai, and archer in sight; not caring about how much blood splattered on to him in the process.

He relished in their fear as they went from trying to disable him to fleeing as they called out for Narusegawa. “Oh no you don’t!” Bankotsu shouted to one horseman as he slashed them in half, smiling as a rain of blood changed the snow’s colors.

One samurai stood behind, armed only with his katana, and then charged at Bankotsu. In a single swing of his Zanbato, he decapitated the samurai and broke the katana in two; his victory was short lived as the tip of the severed blade impaled Bankotsu’s right eye. He yanked it out in haste and watched through his remaining eye the droplets of blood form a puddle beneath him. Had he not reacted as quickly as he did, the blade would have killed him. 

He groaned through his teeth. It took every fiber of restraint for him to not cry out. He kept a hand on the wound, only easing when he was certain that the frigidness could hold back the bleeding. 

He wandered around aimlessly, looking for any sign of survival from Ginkotsu, Kyokotsu, Jakotsu or even Suikotsu. How much time passed? He had nowhere to go. When the snowstorm ceased, Bankotsu moved a little more forward to discover the headless corpses of Jakotsu and Suikotsu bathed in their own blood. 

Just a little further west to their corpses, he found Kyokotsu laying on the ground. To his disappointment, even Kyokotsu laid motionless as the snow started to pile on top in the never ending snowfall. There was nothing but silence now. Silence which hurt Bankotsu more than any blade possibly could.

Not too far from Kyokotsu’s corpse he beheld a macabre sight that he hoped to never see befall his own companions. The cawing of ravens echoed in the landscape.

Narusegawa’s shadow loomed through the battlefield, and over the severed heads of the mercenaries Bankotsu had once called his comrades. The black stallion pawed into the blood-soaked snow, breathing heavily as he chewed on to his bit. 

Kagewaki kept his distance with his militia and kept his tanegashima trained on Bankotsu. Soon enough, Kaneda caught up with Kagewaki and watched the conflict in silence. 

All Bankotsu could do in that moment was stare in disbelief. Only hours ago, he spoke of hope to all those lost men who were every bit as betrayed by the warlords. Wasted. They were nothing more than wasted words. Upon seeing Renkotsu’s head on a pike, Bankotsu only felt a smidgen of comfort knowing that he was there to comfort him in his final moments. He couldn’t say the same about the others.

“Why don’t we dance for a little bit? It’d be rude to make our audience wait any longer.” Narusegawa said with a chuckle through her mask, drawing out her axe as Kaneda’s army watched from a distance. 

Bankotsu gritted his teeth and tightened the grip on the handle of his zanbato. “You fucking bitch.” He said, trembling from rage. “You sold us out, didn’t you?! Have you no shame? We once fought alongside you, and Akihiko! I wonder what he would think of this deception.”

Narusegawa blinked and then sighed. “Opinions of the dead are meaningless to me as they should be to you. Now, draw your blade!” She pointed her axe towards Bankotsu. “Or do I need to accelerate your execution in an anti climatic manner?”

Although rage was simmering, Bankotsu didn’t want to charge while blinded by anger. He rose his zanbato and waited for her charge. He hadn’t even cared by then that his braid was starting to come loose as more strands of hair had somehow made their way over his shoulder. How long was he fighting for his life? Bankotsu didn’t know, except that he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep in at least two days by now. 

Without another word, Narusegawa kicked the stallion’s sides and let go of the reins as she put both hands on the reins. Normally, Bankotsu would have been impressed by her feat as he kept his focus on her approaching him. Attacking the horse would have been pointless; it was far bigger than any beast of burden he faced off in the battlefield. 

Thunderous hoof beats had been enough to snap Bankotsu out of his fatigue as the horse got closer, before the stallion let out an ear-piercing neigh as Narusegawa swung her battle axe. He only realized too late that Narusegawa’s blade was long enough to stop her stallion from getting too close to Bankotsu. A loud clang echoed through the morning as Bankotsu just barely shielded himself from the impact of Narusegawa’s axe. 

“Oh, what’s wrong Bankotsu? Shocked that I’m aware of one of your cavalry slaying techniques?” Narusegawa laughed as she circled around Bankotsu before swinging her axe once more. “Come on, don’t disappoint me now.”

For the first time in a long time, Bankotsu had truly felt cornered as he realized that the horse going far too fast to allow him jump away from the circle Narusegawa had created- and it was too far away for him to cripple it. He hated to admit it, but with her having a longer handle than his zanbato was in her favour as she kept delivering earth shaking blows to the blade of his zanbato. 

“You’re pathetic and weak!” Narusegawa shouted pridefully as she rose her ono into the air. 

‘Neither she nor I can keep this up forever. If I can just keep shielding myself long enough, then as soon as her horse starts to slow down, I can get on equal footing.’

The moment the stallion slowed into a canter and Narusegawa delivered yet another blow, Bankotsu shielded himself for a moment before charging towards her while crying out. he briefly saw the shocked look on her face before he shoved the crescent shaped end of his handle directly into her face with as much strength he could muster in that moment. 

In one swift movement, the horse reared as Narusegawa fell off her horse and galloped away from the two. Bankotsu stared at the out cold Daimyo, who then got up as her mouth mask shattered into pieces and revealed her scarred face. She bit her lip until it drew blood once she saw the shattered mask. 

“I didn’t think there’d be a beautiful war torn face underneath that mask.” He was fortunate that she had the wind knocked out of her for that moment, even if just to taunt her. 

Narusegawa kicked up snow before picking her axe back up. “Flattery will get you nowhere. Know your place, sell sword!” she shouted. Her stallion stopped and watched from a distance. Bankotsu smirked knowing now that Narusegawa won’t be able to get back up on to her horse; it was too tall for her to be able to just climb on to its back without a fence post or someone to support her.

Bankotsu stepped away from her, allowing her to get back on to her feet and draw her weapon once more. She brushed the snow off the handle of her axe before swinging at him. Unlike from when she was riding, now every blow of her axe had more strength behind it as it was enough to make Bankotsu’s zanbato tremble every time their blades clashed.

She momentarily lost her balance, prompting samurai to rush towards their battle.

“Narusegawa, we’ll help!”

Narusegawa pushed Bankotsu away and then swung her weapon at the samurai rushing to her side, instantly slicing him in half. Three others shared the same fate until the rest froze in their place. “Who else wants to interfere with my match?!” she said before turning her attention back to Bankotsu. “Hmph, how annoying.”

Bankotsu regained his composure as a twisted smile crept onto his face. “Tch, and you call me the dishonorable one.” 

Narusegawa rose her weapon to block off Banryu and left him with a huge gash on his arm after a hard swing. “It’s cute that you think you can criticize me on those grounds. They willingly threw their lives away for nothing… just as your men have on the day you recruited them.”

Seeing an opening, Bankotsu threw all his strength into swinging Banryu. A crimson fountain emerged from Narusegawa as her arm went flying along with her weapon. Color quickly faded from her as she fell to her knees.

Before she had time to react, her head went flying seconds later.

The samurai whispered amongst themselves, sharing their disbelief. However, their gossip came to a halt when Bankotsu got back on to his feet with an echoing battle cry. He disregarded the wounds Narusegawa gave him, and spotted Kaneda on horseback. 

Bankotsu charged towards Kaneda, with his zanbato drawn. Pain meant nothing to him anymore. Consumed by rage, he barely noticed how much blood he was losing. 

Fear crossed Kaneda’s face as the blood washed mercenary was only a few feet away. His horse reared. It was over in an instant. 

The echoing sound of gunfire was followed by silence. For only an instant Bankotsu could see Kagewaki’s glare and the smoke coming from his tanegashima before he looked down at his own chest and saw the gaping wound left behind. Stunned by the gunfire, he dropped Banryu.

Kagewaki’s face slowly melted into remorse as he made eye contact with Bankotsu. 

‘Sayaka… I never got the chance to tell you how I felt.’ He collapsed into the snow, his vision becoming a blur as the infantry ran over towards him. ‘I failed everyone.’ His world faded to black just as two soldiers yanked him from the snow. 

Kagewaki wasn’t sure how much time passed between overseeing construction of the cenotaph appease the souls of the mercenaries and returning to O-Yakata’s castle. The entire time he couldn’t shake off the guilt consuming him. Even looking over the old fortress belonging to the Band of Seven made Kagewaki sick to his stomach with guilt. He watched the other samurai as they ransacked the fortress, taking the collection of Tanegashima And the war wagon among other things with them. The horses which the villagers nearby cared for had been taken away without a care by Lord Asano, who wanted nothing more than to have his hands on the fine horses. It surprised Kagewaki when he found out that there were people taking care of the horses after receiving at least three months worth of payment- assuming that the mercenaries would have returned to pay them more for the upkeep. Instead of taking the glory of landing the killing shot on to Bankotsu, he remained silent as Lord Asano recounted the events to anyone who cared to listen. Even though Lord Asano hadn’t done anything to contribute to the execution except provide reinforcements, Kagewaki didn’t care to correct him. He didn’t want credit. 

Sayaka’s suicide was much more pressing for him. No one told him how she died, though he recalled her being in tremendous pain prior to him leaving to assist Kaneda and Narusegawa. He refused to look at her corpse until it was time to bury her. He couldn’t weep for her as he already done many times, for he had no tears left to do so. Instead, he reminded himself that he avenged her. 

Or so he believed. 

After overseeing her burial, he encountered Kaneda, who was alone at a shrine with his helmet and menpo off. Kaneda kept his faced buried in his hands. 

“Lord Kaneda?” Kagewaki joined him in the shrine.

“I’m a terrible father, aren’t I?” Kaneda asked rhetorically. “I just helped O-Yakata execute my own firstborn, just so I could redeem myself for going against his wishes eighteen years ago. Even though he was a bloodthirsty mercenary, he possessed more honor than I could ever hope to have.”

Kagewaki frowned. “You did the right thing.” Was all he could muster to say. 

Amid Kaneda’s despair, he overheard an echoing neigh. He looked to his right to see that two samurai struggling to restrain a light grey stallion.

Raiu reader and bucked as the handlers yanked on his lead rope. “Tch, of course Bankotsu’s horse would be this spirited!”

Kaneda approached the chaotic scene and shook his head in shame. “Careful with that stallion, he’s worth even more money now that it’s known Bankotsu’s rode him a few times.”

“Of course he is, that’s why we retrieved this damned horse!”

There was no question about it- the stocky grey horse was now sought out by many warlords. Kaneda sighed and handed a bag over to one of the men. “Let me take him off your hands. He will be my responsibility from now on.”

As soon as the lead was handed over to Kaneda, Raiu’s rearing ceased and his ears perked up. Once the stallion was still, Kaneda found himself amazed by how tall and stocky Raiu was—- as the horses from the Nanban typically were.

No matter the great disposition of Raiu; the stallion had ceased eating and collapsed only two weeks after the Band of Seven’s execution.

Winter’s moonlight shone on a man in a baboon mask. He loomed over the cenotaph built near Mt. Hakurei. The flock of three eyed ravens landed near the masked man and formed into Yuzuru. White serpentine like creatures soon followed, only to dissipate as soon as Yuzuru flicked his fingers. 

“Lord Naraku, the task is complete.” Yuzuru tossed over a seashell. “I’ve managed to capture their souls. Luckily, none of them were able to see what I was doing.” 

Naraku stared at Yuzuru with hollowed eyes. “And for what purpose?”

Yuzuru chuckled. “For when the Shikon jewel arrives in our world is when you’ll be able to conduct a proper resurrection… but it would be useless if they don’t have their souls with them. They’d be mindless, unable to care of themselves if you were to resurrect them without their respective souls in place.”

“Could I not capture the ogre sorceress and order her to make clay bodies for them?”

Yuzuru shook his head. “Do you want them to be fragile AND mindless? You’d be better off to wait until the jewel has returned to our world, that way they can come back stronger… and the leader will be obligated to answer to you.”

“You’re much cleverer than I initially thought.” Naraku looked down at the seashell resting in his hand. “Thank you. I pray that they will be useful to me when the time comes. I wonder what your endgame is.”

Yuzuru rose his head. “I am merely seeking entertainment, My Lord. When you’ve lived for as long as I have, you too will understand how dull life becomes without conflict.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that the last two chapters were pretty hard to write because I found that I was getting quite attached to my favorite merry band of mercenaries who showed up for only one arc of Inuyasha- about as much as I did when I was 15. I always wanted Inuyasha to have spin off prequels either starring Inu-Papa or the Band of Seven, and I hope that this story fills the void for at least the latter. I'm not sure if I would write one for Inu-Papa; never say never, though. I have a few ideas, but I'll let you guys decide if you want that. 
> 
> There will be a hiatus for now because I will slowly be adding illustrations to the story, so I can give it a more light-novel feel. 
> 
> Even though they're all dead, there is another chapter on the horizon.


	31. Patricide

Chapter 30

Cherry blossoms bloomed past Bankotsu as he stared at the clear skies above, with Sayaka resting her head against his shoulder. As he watched the grassy landscape before him, he hoped that the grizzly fates of his comrades had been nothing more than a realistic nightmare he had- whereas the reality of him following through with Renkotsu’s plans were reality.

Sayaka brushed Bankotsu’s bangs away from his brows with a gentle smile. “I hope we stay here forever.” 

He got on to his feet and shook his head. “Don’t play with my heart like that. We’re here because we overthrew O-Yakata, remember?” Her silence heightened his anxiety. “Come on, why don’t we go find Renkotsu and see what he’s got in store for us.”

The cherry blossoms ceased blooming. Bankotsu watched as the sky became crimson as a black sun rose in the horizon. He looked around to try and find Sayaka, but instead was met with the icy gaze from Narusegawa. 

Heads of his fallen comrades were impaled on a group of yari standing behind Narusegawa, who held up a crystal shard in her hands. “How pitiful. Not only did Kagewaki leave a gaping hole in your chest, but then you were decapitated just to ensure your death. And now, that decrepit warlord holds your Banryu in his castle… where it is treated as nothing more than a glorified trophy. Worst of all, Sayaka died under his neglectful eye. Are you going to let him get away with that?” She gazed at the glowing dark shard and approached Bankotsu. 

Bankotsu paused. This didn’t sound like the Narusegawa he fought against. Yet, every word she spoke sparked an old fury within him that he only recalled moments before his execution.

“In the end, this was all your life added up to. Pathetic.”

Bankotsu gritted his teeth and took the shard from her. “Bullshit.” He said as the world around him faded into darkness. “I can still avenge my fallen brothers.”

He woke up in darkness, with only a man in a baboon suit to greet him into his second life.

\---------------

A decade passed throughout the Hakurei territory without notable incidents for Kaneda. To atone for his own mistakes with Daisuke and Bankotsu, Kaneda oversaw the care of Sayaka’s son shortly after her sudden death. Over the years, Ryuta showed more promise than Kaneda expected. Not only had he become well read, he also proved to be ambitious with the blade. 

But Kaneda should have known better than to expect he could bury his shortcomings. 

At first, his morning hack on horseback with Ryuta was like any other; he’d be giving the boy gentle reminders to keep his heels down and to keep his back straight. Then there was the usual to not let his horse canter ahead, especially down the forest trails where dangers were unseen. Riding to the cenotaph was the usual route for Kaneda to patrol with Ryuta every morning- it was close enough to the border. 

“Ryuta, wait!” was something Kaneda expected to shout every morning whenever the boy got fed up with his grandfather’s pace. Ryuta roughly pulled on the reins, causing his chestnut mare to pin her ears back and yank her head until he eased his grip.

Kaneda halted his horse shortly after catching up with Ryuta. “You can’t be pulling on her face like that, or she’ll start rejecting you as her master.”

Ryuta crossed his arms and scowled. “But you told me to wait. I just want to check out the cenotaph; someone vandalized it!”

Kaneda rose a brow. “What are you talking about?” Ryuta pointed ahead, at the big white stone. Kaneda squinted his eyes and then kicked his mare’s side, prompting her to canter towards the gravesite.

It was as Ryuta said; not had the structure surrounding the cenotaph collapsed, but the stone appeared to be slashed in half. “Tch, must have been some grave robbers. It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought there’d be something valuable down there. Disrespectful.” 

Ryuta rose a brow. “How is it disrespectful if they were evil?”

“They may have committed atrocious deeds in life, but they still deserve respect after they’ve passed on to the next life. If we do not respect the dead, we won’t be any better than they were.” Kaneda said with a heavy sigh. “Besides, if we were to desecrate it then we’d be faced with one bad omen after another because their spirits will be seeking vengeance.”

The look of disapproval faded from Ryuta’s expression, instead he nodded in approval. “So, that’s how it is.” He paused. “Can you take me to the castle?”

Kaneda shook his head. “Lord Yakata does not want you there, yet.”

Ryuta furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. “Why not? I haven’t done anything to him, yet anytime he arrives at our base he always gives me the iciest glare while spitting venom at me. He should be feeling lucky that I don’t challenge him right there!”

Kaneda laughed. “Oh Ryuta, what have I told you about taking his scolding personally? He simply has high expectations of you.” He couldn’t bear to tell Ryuta the circumstances of his birth that led to O-Yakata’s resentment towards Ryuta, having planned to instead keep Ryuta around at the home base when he came of age. 

“But still… he only calls me worthless.” Ryuta sighed. “I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth it to try to win his approval.”

Kaneda shook his head. “No, it isn’t. Why don’t we return to the home base?” 

\------------ 

The next couple of weeks after the cenotaph was vandalized went without incident, as the small pocket of territory remained peaceful much to Kaneda’s relief. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sorrow each time he passed by the cenotaph, even after someone attempted to repair it. It was his firstborn’s grave, after all. Giving Bankotsu and his comrades a respectable grave near Mt Hakurei was the best Kaneda could have done to ease his own guilt. 

More than ever, Kaneda was haunted by the memory of seeing Bankotsu collapse into the snow- in a puddle of his own blood from Kagewaki’s tanegashima. He remembered protesting the idea of decapitating Bankotsu’s corpse—it would have been pointless, for he was already on death’s door. 

‘I should’ve brought you home with me…’

Kaneda’s thoughts drifted into what could have been had he stood his ground during the months following up the execution. Sometimes they presented a pleasant reality where Bankotsu forgave him for the shortcomings and stayed within Kaneda’s estate as a lord of so; those thoughts interrupted by the realization that the sell sword would never have forgiven him in the first place.

What sort of man would forgive his father for abandoning him at birth? Certainly not Bankotsu. There was no doubt in Kaneda’s mind that it contributed to Bankotsu’s series of misfortunes he was doomed to experience at birth.

‘Please forgive me for being a foolish man.’ 

“Grandpa, what are you doing all the way out here?”

Kaneda turned around, seeing Ryuta standing behind him. Without warning, he knelt and embraced Ryuta. ‘That’s right, I must spend the rest of my life making sure that your son doesn’t grow up with your circumstances. I pray he will surpass you, in both might and honour. Just watch me!’

“Were you crying?” 

The Samurai Daisho flinched and scurried back onto his feet. “No, that’s your imagination! What did you want from me, boy?”

Ryuta chuckled. “Grandma just asked me to go check up on you. She seemed worried.” He smiled. “Sorry if I was disturbing you.”

Kaneda shook his head. “Not at all.” He patted Ryuta’s head. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, don’t ever lose it- alright?”

“Do I look like a member from the Band of Seven to you? I’m not that reckless.” Ryuta answered with a laugh. The temptation to validate Ryuta’s point was there, but Kaneda refrained from doing so. He didn’t know when an appropriate time would be to tell Ryuta the truth; he’d rather not tell the boy at all. 

Suddenly, a samurai on horseback rushed towards Kaneda.

“General Kaneda, you need to get to the castle grounds!” The soldier did his best to maintain his stoicism. “Lord O-Yakata has received a threatening letter reading, ‘wash your necks’. He has asked you to return to his castle at once!” 

Kaneda’s jaw dropped. ‘No… it can’t be.’ He prayed that this was a sick joke of sorts. 

\------------------------------

Bankotsu rushed towards the castle with his mind flooded with vengeance. Before he was reunited with his brothers at arms, he had visited Sayaka’s cenotaph which was buried behind the dense forest surrounding O-Yakata’s castle. 

Suicide. 

The fact that the young boy visiting her grave had said it so casually was chilling even to Bankotsu. Did she try to follow him in death? Was it Yuzuru’s manipulation that somehow drove her to drown herself? All Bankotsu knew was that she supposedly spoke once more, to O-Yakata, and cursed him. 

“The seven stars will return in ten summers.” Were her last words, according to the story he was told. 

He stopped at a considerable distance from the castle. ‘Time to take back what’s rightfully mine.’ He could hear the hisses from Ginkotsu’s metal mask echoing in the distance- it was his cue to approach the gates. 

The guards rose their yari and trembled. “It’s you… isn’t it?” 

“I’m here to take back my companion.” Bankotsu said before he charged at the man without a worry in his soul; so long as the shard wasn’t removed from his neck, he would remain alive according to Naraku. Before the first guard had a chance to impale Bankotsu, the mercenary grabbed the handle of the yari and yanked it out of the other man’s grasp after delivering a swift kick to the chest. Seconds later, he jabbed the yari through the throat of the other guard.

Ginkotsu’s canons then took care of the archers before they could target Bankotsu. 

Without time to thank his approaching comrades, he took the blood soaked yari with him and proceeded to kill anyone in his way- occasionally stealing their weapons whenever his current one got too dull for his taste. 

He made short work of the guards within the castle, going as far as to throw them upwards after apprehending each of them. 

By the time he reached O-Yakata, the adrenaline from clearing his path had already blinded his senses. “Oh, there you are.” He said after sliding the door open. It was only then he realized that his clothes were already stained by blood. 

“So, it was you…” O-Yakata shook where he stood.

“Hey, it’s my Banryu!” Bankotsu said, walking past O-Yakata without even making eye contact. Under normal circumstances, he would have at least paid some respect to the lord’s ranking- however, that privilege had been forfeited long ago.

He gleefully lifted his zanbato. Bankotsu smiled as he realized he’d forgotten just how heavy it was- fitting, for it was at first his only defense he had against the Oni, Yokai and bandits who’d terrorize him when he was an orphan without Ryutaro’s mercenary company. The only equalizer he had in the world infested with monsters.

He pulled off the Murasaki covering. “Hey, you guys polished it real nice.” Bankotsu said, admiring the handiwork of whoever was commanded to polish the blade until his own reflection could be seen.

“I don’t care if you’re undead, will you be my retainer or lord?”

The happiness Bankotsu had in that moment had been soured by O-Yakata’s display of cowardice. He couldn’t imagine the nerve. “Are you sure you read my letter?” he replied. “I said, no bounds.” Bankotsu rose his zanbato.

The lord and his retainer froze. 

“One thousand.” Bankotsu said before swinging Banryu.

O-Yakata collapsed to the ground, with a stream of blood flooding from where his left leg once was. He screamed in agony as he tried to crawl away from Bankotsu. 

His efforts were halted when Bankotsu stomped on his foot. “Whoops, I missed. Too bad, I wanted this to be over with quickly.” Bankotsu said as he impaled the blade into the floor. 

“I’ll do anything if you let me live…”

Bankotsu arched a brow. “Anything, you say? I’d be willing to make one exception. How about that grand daughter of yours… Hitomi Sayaka?” He lifted Banryu from the floor once more. “Oh right, I was informed she died by suicide. What a waste. I really liked her; you know. She was as beautiful as she was kind, and if Narusegawa’s word is anything to go by- she was a skilled diplomat of sorts. If only I wasn’t so stupid when I was alive, then and decided to conquer this hellscape when I had the chance with Akihiko’s former forces.”

He rose Banryu into the air, preparing to strike. “But even if she were still alive for me to take from you, that wouldn’t be enough for me to spare your life. Not even her pleas would have sufficed enough for me to show you mercy. No bounds, after all.” 

“I pray that Ryuta will not become even half the monster that you are.”

Bankotsu fell silent. Blood splattered onto the walls after he decapitated O-Yakata with one swoop. 

\------------------------------

Kaneda’s heart raced as fast as his mare did upon seeing the familiar telltale signs of the mercenaries on the horizon. Smoke amid dancing flames in the skies had Kaneda lambasting himself for wandering too far from the castle. Ever since the castle received the note, all he could think about were the nightmares he had for the last decade. 

‘I’ll never be able to atone for my mistakes, will I?’ 

Ryuta’s excelling at a much quicker rate with swordsmanship now was making Kaneda uneasy, upon remembering who his father is. Grandson or not, Kaneda feared that if Ryuta were to find out about his role in Bankotsu’s death that there would be vengeance in the air at the very minimum. The only thing in Kaneda’s favour was that he at least provided for the boy and gave him the care which his own sons were deprived of. 

Just as Kaneda was drowning in his worries, Ryuta finally managed to catch up to the group of cavalrymen with a fierce expression. “What’s going on, grandpa?! If there is a raid, I’ll be more than happy to help defend the castle.”

Normally Kaneda would have been thrilled by Ryuta’s enthusiasm, but now it only proved to be troublesome. “Go back home, this is far beyond what you’d be able to handle!” Kaneda shouted as he brought his horse to a halt along with the rest of the squad. “If your grandmother saw you out here, she would have a fit. I’ll never hear the end of it!”

“But you said that it’s my duty to protect the lord of the castle, remember?!” Ryuta snapped. “This is my chance to prove myself that I am every bit as capable as you are!”

Kaneda shook his head. “Not today. Your opportunity will arrive on another day. Go protect your grandmother! If those scoundrels arrive there, teach them a lesson they’ll never forget!”

He rode on ahead, leaving the stunned Ryuta behind.

It wasn’t until Kaneda reached the hilltop which led down towards the castle did, he stop. The worst of his nightmares were standing at the end of the path, carrying the stolen Banryu with the castle up in flames behind the thief.

“Kenta…” Kaneda whispered in a voice low enough that no one could hear the disbelief in his tone. He was momentarily stunned by the sight of the undead sell sword with the bloodstained zanbato. he halted his mare with the hopes that O-Yakata had been taken hostage. 

Bankotsu grinned. “Hey there, it’s been a while hasn’t it?” He said while lightly tapping the pommel of his zanbato against his uncovered shoulder. 

“Damn you, what did you do with our lord?” Kaneda asked, bracing himself for the worst answer knowing full well that the Band of Seven never were famous for keeping prisoners. 

“One thousand?”

Kaneda’s eyes widened. “What?!” He hoped that it was a monetary demand, as ridiculous as it would have been.

“Our heads were chopped off, if you recall, so I returned the favour.”

Kaneda pointed his yari at Bankotsu. “A curse on you, I’ll send you back to hell where you belong!” He charged at Bankotsu in a blind rage, having thrown away all previous teachings. To Kaneda’s shock, Bankotsu leapt above him.

Before he had time to react, Bankotsu wasted no time in cleaving the Samurai-Daisho in half- sending the torso flying and watched as the lower half fell from the panicked ebon mare. In what felt like an eternity, all Kaneda could do in his last few seconds of awareness was watch helplessly as his men needlessly died trying to take down Bankotsu.

\-------------

Bankotsu only could bask in the blood soaked carnage for an instant, interrupted only by another horse galloping towards the scene. For a split second, all Bankotsu noticed was the child’s resemblance to Lady Sayaka. At first, he was ready to chop down that ready, stopped by seeing the boy’s bewildered face as he called out for Kaneda. 

“Grandpa!” Ryuta shouted as he hopped off his horse and approached Kaneda’s torso. He hadn’t made eye contact with Bankotsu, instead decided to shake Kaneda’s lifeless corpse in a hopeless attempt for a response.

He watched as Ryuta went to pick up the broken menpo on the ground and then finally faced Bankotsu, quivering with rage. “You did this, didn’t you?!” he dropped the menpo and unsheathed his katana. “I’ll make you regret stepping foot anywhere near the castle!” he charged at Bankotsu, letting out a war cry.

Ryuta became wide eyed as Bankotsu used the handle of the zanbato to knock the katana from his hands with a single swing. The boy became dazed as the tip of the blade was only a mere couple inches away from his throat. 

` Seeing no reason to entertain Ryuta’s thirst for revenge, Bankotsu withdrew his Banryu. “You won’t be able to avenge your grandfather if you’re this weak. Make use of that anger swelling inside of you to get stronger; then you can come back and kill me when that time comes. I have no tolerance for weakness in battle, so you better not disappoint me.”

He turned around and started walking away from the boy. The satisfaction of getting his revenge was dissolved by Ryuta’s uncontrollable sobbing over Kaneda’s corpse. There was nothing he could say that would ease the boy’s raged fuelled sorrows; all he could do was walk away before allowing any remorse to catch up with him. 

Yet by the time he reached the gates, he craved nothing more than sake to repress any feelings of guilt.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of a super old fanfiction I wrote about the Band of Seven during their golden age, prior to execution. I decided to rewrite it because I need practice in writing action segments to make them much more interesting- and had to cut out all the lemons because they didn’t add much. Maybe I’ll write one later for the story, depends though on how necessary I feel it would be.
> 
> The original version exists as nothing more than scribbles in a notebook plus half completed chapters in an old MS Word document.


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